Milestones V
by DrawnToDarkness
Summary: The next chapter in the lives of Captain and Mrs Becker.
1. Beach

Title: Milestones V  
>Author: DrawnToDarkness<br>Rating: T overall  
>Pairings: JessBecker primarily, Connor/Abby & Matt/Emily background  
>Spoilers: General knowledge of S1 – 5.<br>Summary: Another milestone in the lives of Captain & Mrs Becker. Set about a month or so after Milestones IV.  
>Disclaimer: They're still not mine! Sadly. :( I promise I'd make them happy if they were!<p>

Chapter prompt: Beach  
>Chapter rating: K+<p>

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><p>Blazing hot sun, just the right side of too hot, combined with a refreshing breeze coming in off the sea made for the perfect weather conditions for a picnic.<p>

If only it was a picnic they were there to have.

What brought them to the beach was nothing quite so nice; an anomaly alert coupled with the frantic distress call of a woman whose husband had gone missing was not the ideal start to what had promised to be a lovely day off.

A rare day off.

One of the last they'd planned to spend together before letting the rest of the team in on their secret.

A secret everyone would soon know.

Jess Becker bit back a sigh and instead gave her husband a sunny smile.

Her worried husband merely scowled back.

"I'll stay in the car if you'd like," she offered, quite generously in her opinion.

Becker's scowl only deepened. "We don't know what this thing is, Jessica. And until we do, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

The over-protectiveness was not entirely new, really, but the way his gaze dropped meaningfully to her still perfectly flat stomach was.

And it gave the game away, too.

Abby Maitland-Temple, who'd been standing as witness to the couple's silent and not so silent argument, arched both of her eyebrows as she first followed Becker's gaze before looking up at Jess's face. A beaming smile broke out across the blond woman's face for a few seconds before a look of solemn concern took its place.

That was new, too, Jess thought with a sigh she couldn't hold back. Abby had become just as protective of her since the events of the ARC's near takeover - and that was something that would only get worse over the coming months, the Field Co-ordinator was certain.

"You're pregnant?" Abby asked in a hushed whisper. "You shouldn't be here, Jess. It's too dangerous."

When Becker only continued to scowl, Jess rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in exasperation. "Believe it or not, I wasn't planning on being at an anomaly site, today or any other day."

That was true; they hadn't. Their plans had included a nice drive along the coast, with a stop for lunch in a nearby pub followed by an equally nice - and not at all strenuous if her husband had any say in it, since he had apparently decided his wife was too delicate for any sort of physical activity outside of breathing - walk along the beach.

They hadn't counted on an anomaly alert so close by, though in hindsight maybe they should've done. There'd been anomalies both the night Becker had planned to propose and the night before their wedding; it stood to reason there would be one the day before they planned to share the news with their teammates that they were expecting.

"I'll stay out of the way," Jess said, not for the first time.

And not for the first time, she was ignored.

"You should go. Take her home." Abby looked at Becker instead of the woman who'd spoken. "We can manage here."

"You can't say that when you don't know what we're dealing with." Obviously torn between his sense of obligation to his job and his responsibility as Jess's husband and father-to-be of her child, Becker glared and ran his hand through his already dishevelled hair. "Who's available to take her back to the ARC?"

"I am still here, you know," Jess began.

"That's the problem," her husband muttered.

Other than pausing to give him a cool glare, Jess ignored the interruption. "If you want me to leave so badly, just give me the car keys and I'll drive myself home."

"Alone?" The two people standing next to her spoke in unison.

"I'm a big girl; I'm sure I can find the way."

Her sarcastic tone was lost on them. As they went back to discussing her as though she wasn't there, Jess noticed the rest of the team approach. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood back and let the conversation continue.

"Hey, guys. What are you doing here?" Connor gave them both a grin – one that Jess acknowledged with a small wave while Becker mostly ignored it. "Don't you know the meaning of a day off?"

"We were in the area," Becker answered shortly.

"And they're just leaving now," Abby added, throwing a meaningful look in Jess's direction when Becker opened his mouth to protest. "Aren't you?"

As the two launched into a staring contest, a battle of wills neither of them was willing to back down from, Jess made a small sound of frustration and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, for heaven's sake! Just give me the damn keys, Becker, and I'll drive myself home. Then you can get on with whatever it is you need to do without worrying I'm going to get in the way."

"It's not that you're going to get in the way," Becker was quick to reassure her, sensing he'd pushed her a little too far. She rarely called him anything but 'Hil' anymore so the fact that she'd reverted to his surname was a big clue. "But you really shouldn't be here, Jess. It's not safe."

"So give me the keys and I'll leave you to it." She held out one hand, an eyebrow lifting when he didn't immediately comply. "I'm more than capable of driving myself home. I haven't magically forgotten how."

"What—oof!" Connor was cut off mid-sentence by a well-placed elbow from his own wife. As he rubbed his ribs and gave Abby a questioning look, the team leader stepped forward.

Matt cleared his throat to get the attention of the arguing couple. "Look, you're both on a day off. If you're having some kind of domestic, go home and have it. Or put it to the side and focus on the job."

"We're not having a domestic," Becker retorted, breaking eye contact with Jess to glare at Matt. "And I'll focus on the job when she's somewhere safe."

It was the wrong thing to do. "_She_ still has a name and isn't a bloody invalid," Jess interrupted before Matt could respond. "And I hate to break it to you but I think we are having a domestic. Seriously, Becker, if this is what the next seven months is going to be like, I think I might end up filing for divorce."

"Seven months?" Connor repeated speculatively.

"Divorce?" Becker repeated in shock.

"Why don't I drive you home, Jess? I'm not really needed here." Emily cut in smoothly before anyone else could join in the conversation. The dark haired woman moved to stand beside Jess and slid one arm around the Field Co-ordinator's waist, holding her other hand out to the team leader. "Matt, give me the keys to your car."

His eyes wide as the meaning behind Jess's declaration sunk in, Matt did as the Victorian asked.

"Thank you." Emily gave him a warm smile of approval and started to usher the younger woman away as the others looked after them.

Becker took a step after them. "Jess…"

"Later," was his wife's clipped reply as she walked away.

* * *

><p><em>Hmm.. Maybe not quite the fluffy beginning I'd promised but I will make it up to you... I promise! Also, please be warned that I'm probably not going to be as fast at updating as I have been in the past so apologies in advance for that.<em>


	2. Frustrated

Prompt: Frustrated  
>Rating: K+<p>

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><p>"Am I to assume that congratulations are in order?" Emily waited until they were both in the car, with the beach – and the team – behind them before speaking. She glanced at Jess out of the corner of her eye, her heart aching for her young friend as the Field Co-ordinator sat in the passenger seat, twisting her wedding and engagement rings around on her finger. "Are you not pleased?"<p>

"Oh, I am. I really am." Jess was quick to answer, glancing at Emily with a bright smile on her face. A smile that crumpled as she remembered why she was sitting in a car with her friend and not her husband. "But I want to be able to enjoy it, you know? Not spend every second of every minute walking on eggshells around Hil or Abby or anyone else because they're afraid I'm going to get hurt."

Emily's smile was soft and understanding. "They care about you, Jess. We all do. After what you went through, no one wants to see you get hurt again."

"Neither do I!" Jess returned, placing her hand over her still flat stomach protectively. "But I don't want to spend the next seven, eight months feeling suffocated. I want to be able to enjoy it. I want _Hil_ to enjoy it. But since he found out..." She shook her head and went back to staring out of the window at the passing scenery. "He was happy at first but I'm not so sure he is now."

"Of course he is still happy, Jess..."

"You can't know that, Emily. _I _don't even know that. I don't even know if Hil does." Jess lifted her hand to wipe at her cheek, sniffling as she tried to keep hold of her composure.

Not knowing what to say, the older woman lapsed into silence and concentrated on driving. It was only after she had safely parked in an empty space near the Becker household that Emily turned to Jess and spoke again. "You discussed having children, did you not? Before you were married?"

Jess nodded, but her eyes still shimmered. "We agreed we both wanted them. It's not that we don't, or at least that I don't. It's just the timing, Em. And the way he's been walking on eggshells around me ever since I told him! Like he's afraid I'm going to break at the smallest thing."

"That's simply because he is afraid, Jess. He loves you. Truly." Of that, the Victorian woman had no doubt. "I understand your frustration at being coddled, but I can also understand it from Becker's point of view. He almost lost you less than a month ago – he could have so easily lost both you and your child. It stands to reason that he will worry more about you now with those memories so fresh in his mind."

"That doesn't explain everything, Emily," Jess countered softly, staring at her hands as she clasped them in her lap.

Emily waited, expecting Jess to continue. Her concern grew when the younger woman remained silent instead. "Shall we go inside?" She suggested after a long pause. "I would quite like a cup of tea."

* * *

><p>A cup of tea wasn't going to fix it.<p>

A bottle of tequila wouldn't fix it, even if she had been able to drink. The big bar of chocolate in the kitchen cupboard Becker had slipped into their shopping trolley without her noticing last time they'd gone shopping _might've_ helped but Jess felt a little queasy as she remembered the look on her husband's face when she'd mentioned the 'D' word so decided to forgo that, too.

She sat down on the sofa in the conservatory with Emily – one of her favourite rooms in the house, thanks to view of the garden when she and Becker had gotten married – and stared sightlessly into her tea cup as her friend sat beside her in companionable silence.

"What else is wrong, Jess?" Emily asked after allowing the silence to stretch on for as long as she was able. When Jess remained silent, Emily set her cup of tea down on the table in front of her and turned to look at her. "You know you can tell me anything, Jessica, and it will go no further than you and I."

Jess nodded but felt her cheeks burn. She put her own cup of untouched tea down and clasped her hands in her lap as she stared out of the window. "He won't... We haven't..." Her voice faltered and she blushed furiously under the Victorian's steady gaze.

It took her a few moments, but Emily understood the source of Jess's discomfort in the end. "You have not had relations since you discovered you were pregnant."

"Yes. I mean, no. We haven't." Jess bit her lip and forced herself to meet Emily's gaze. "At first I thought he was just being cautious because I was injured but now... There's absolutely no reason why we can't but he _won't_. And that's not like him. It's not like us." She glanced away again as another blush stole across her features. "It's never been a problem for us before. I've never... I've never questioned whether he was attracted to me before."

"And you are now?" Emily prompted when Jess fell silent again. She reached out and covered Jess's hands with her own when the younger woman only fidgeted in response. "Have you tried talking to him, Jess? I am sure if you explained how you feel..."

"He'll just tell me I'm being stupid," Jess protested, a frustrated tear slipping down her cheek. "And then maybe if I'm lucky, he'll kiss me goodnight before lying on his side of the bed until I fall asleep. That's what he does. Sometimes I'll wake up in his arms but as soon as I try anything, he'll move away or develop a sudden need for a shower or decide to go for a run and of course I'm not allowed to go running anymore because heaven forbid I fall over my own feet and do something to hurt myself or the baby."

When Jess paused to catch her breath, Emily seized her chance to speak. "You need to explain this to your husband, Jessica. For all of his good qualities, Becker is not the quickest or the most perceptive where emotions are concerned. I am certain that if he realised how upset you were about the lack of intimacy in your relationship, he would wish to change it. Perhaps if you give him a chance to explain his views on the subject..." Emily trailed off and shrugged when Jess only stared at her. "Just talk to him. If nothing else, you will feel better for having broached the subject."

Jess gave another nod but didn't look convinced. After another ten minutes, she reassured Emily she would be fine on her own and insisted her friend return to the anomaly site to help their friends with whatever creature had come through.

It was only after Emily left that Jess realised she hadn't said goodbye to Becker properly for the first time since they'd become a couple, the first time she hadn't told him to be safe and asked him to come home to her since they'd gotten married.

With a soft sigh, a pang of guilt going through her at the memory of the stunned expression on Becker's face when she'd mentioned the 'D' word at the height of her temper, Jess reached for her mobile phone. There was only a slim chance he'd check it, she knew, especially if they were in the middle of a creature hunt, but it would make her feel a little bit better so she quickly typed the message and pressed send.

_'Be careful, and stay warm. We're waiting for you to come home. J & bump-to-be xx'_

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><p><em>To be continued in 'Nerves'. <em>


	3. Nerves

Prompt: Nerves  
>Rating: T<p>

* * *

><p>He read the text message before starting his drive back to their house. Her words didn't completely ease the tension that had kept his stomach knotted ever since she'd said the 'D' word but they helped soothe his anxiety a little.<p>

As did Emily's sound advice to listen to his wife, and Abby's near constant reassurances that Jess hadn't meant what she said. Divorce was not on the cards for the Beckers according to his teammates, and he was glad for it as he wasn't sure what he'd do if it ever was.

When he realised the front door was locked, Becker couldn't decide if he was pleased Jess had remembered to lock it after seeing Emily out or worried that maybe she'd locked it for the purpose of keeping him out. He hesitated in stepping over the threshold for the first time since they'd moved in over two years ago and took a deep, calming breath before calling out for her.

"Jess?"

No answer.

Momentary panic that she'd left him surged through his body – until he remembered that he'd seen her car parked in its usual spot outside. Keeping that thought in his mind – and shutting out the thought that she could have gotten her brother or sister-in-law to pick her up if she'd chosen to go somewhere – Becker started to explore the house in search of his wife.

She wasn't in any of her favourite places downstairs – the conservatory was empty, as was the living room, and he'd checked the garden through the windows to make sure she wasn't sitting curled up on the swing seat of the gazebo. He checked the study on the first floor, and even looked in the spare rooms just in case she'd decided to move her things – or his – into one of them but they were all empty, too.

"Jess?" He kept his voice quiet as he made his way up to the second floor, not wanting to disturb her if she'd decided to take an afternoon nap.

He heard the sound of a slight splash seconds before she answered, her voice coming from the bathroom. "I'm in here."

He waited outside the bathroom door for a moment, not sure if he should take her answer to be an invite or not, before chiding himself for being an idiot. She was his wife, damn it, and they'd had an argument. It didn't mean she didn't love him anymore and he was only going to make it worse if he kept putting off the inevitable conversation his female teammates insisted they needed to have.

Still, he knocked lightly onto the door before pulling it open, entering quickly and closing it behind him to keep the heat and steam inside.

Jess looked up at him from where she lay in a bathtub brimming with bubbles and the redness of her eyes broke his heart.

"I'm sorry." It was strange how the words were both so much easier to say than they had been before they'd gotten together but still somehow got caught in his throat. Becker crossed the room and knelt beside the tub, covering the hand she had resting on the rim with his own. "I overreacted, and I'm sorry."

"Me, too." Her smile was a sliver of its usual self but he was relieved to see it anyway. "And I shouldn't have said anything about a divorce. You know I didn't mean it, right?"

Because of how worried she looked, Becker didn't have it in him to tell her the truth. "I know." He lifted her hand, pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm going to need some time to get used to this, Jess. Please be patient with me."

"Used to what?" Her eyes shone and she bit down on her bottom lip anxiously. "The thought of being a dad or me being pregnant or...?"

"All of it," he answered. "I just... It terrifies me, sweetheart," he admitted quietly. "Anything could go wrong and I could lose you – lose both of you – and I don't know what I'd do if that happened. I don't... I'm so scared I'm going to screw this up and lose you, Jess."

A tear slipped down her face and it was her turn to take his hand, holding it against her cheek as she leaned into his touch. "You won't lose me. You won't lose either of us," she added, moving her other hand to rest on her stomach. "And you're not the only one who's scared of screwing this up but what you've got to remember – what we've _both_ got to remember – is that we're in this together. You and me."

"And baby makes three." Even just saying it scared him a little, and exhilarated him, too. "I love you, Jessica, and I promise I'll try not to let you down again."

"You've never let me down, Hil. You can frustrate me to no end and drive me a little crazy at times but you have never let me down, nor will you ever let down our child."

"I wish I could be so confident, Jess," and he did, he really did, "but this is all new to me..."

"It's new to both of us," Jess objected instantly, but Becker shook his head.

"You've been around kids. Babies. You were around Andi when she was pregnant with the kids, you were there when Lizzie and Tom were babies. I don't think... I can't remember ever holding a baby before, let alone being a father to one." Becker swallowed hard at the thought. "I don't know how to do that."

"Neither do I." She gave him a look when he started to protest. "Being an aunt is very different to being a mum. I've never been pregnant before for starters. I've never given birth or experienced any of the other things I've read about that sound absolutely terrifying. And I love that you've never held a baby, Hil, because it means that the first time you do, it'll be ours."

Something inside him warmed at the mental image and he smiled easily for what felt like the first time in weeks. "So are we okay now? If I try not to worry too much...?" Or at least try not to let her see when he was. He thought she'd agree so was surprised when she hesitated, colour rising in her cheeks he suspected had little to do with the temperature of the room. "Jess? What is it?"

She bit down on her lip again, her hand falling from his to splash in the water as she looked away. "Are you... Does me being pregnant change how you feel about me, Hil? Physically, I mean? Or is it because of what Cartwright did because I'm okay, you know. I'm okay and I stopped taking the painkillers ages ago."

Stunned by the question, it took him a moment to remember he needed to answer it. "You're beautiful, Jessica. Knowing that you're pregnant makes you even more so."

"Then why won't you touch me? Why haven't we had sex since you found out I'm pregnant?" She lifted her head to look him in the eye. "I read on the internet that some men lose interest in their partners, that the idea of, well, being with them while they're pregnant disgusts them so I thought, maybe, you -"

"No." Becker's voice was firm, and loud, making her jump. "God _no_. You are bloody gorgeous and I want you as much now as I ever have. I swear. There is not one thing about this that makes you unattractive to me."

"Then why...?"

It was his turn to blush, to feel the heat flood his cheeks. He ran a hand through his hair, aware that the steam in the room made it stick up at strange angles but not caring as he held her gaze. "You're not the only one who's been reading things on the Internet, sweetheart. Some women go off sex when they're pregnant. I didn't want to pressure you into something you don't want..."

"Don't want?" Her jaw dropped a little and her eyes widened. "I don't know how I could've made what I want any clearer, Hil, and what I want is _you_."

He shrugged a shoulder, feeling awkward under the weight of her incredulous stare. "I wasn't sure if you meant it or thought you had to or felt obligated..."

"_Obligated_? To make love to my husband? Who I am completely and utterly insanely crazy about?" Jess continued to stare at him. "You really are an idiot sometimes, aren't you? You do know that, right?"

"I'm beginning to get the picture." His pulse quickened at the glint in her eye and he allowed his gaze to wander, drinking in the very welcome sight of her body beneath the surface of the water, bare but for a few bubbles that still clung stubbornly to her skin. "Jessica?"

Her eyes darkened in response to his blatant appraisal of her and her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. "Yes, Hil?"

"Would you object if I took you to bed and showed you just how beautiful you are to me?"

Jess shivered and shook her head no. "I wouldn't object at all."

It was all the encouragement he needed. He scooped her up out of the water, not caring that his clothes were getting wet as he stood with her in his arms, and kissed her soundly as he carried her from the bathroom to their bedroom to prove he meant every word.

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'News' <em>


	4. News

_I'm poorly!sick today so here, have a new chapter. _

Prompt: News  
>Rating: K+<p>

* * *

><p>"Rise and shine, beautiful. It's time to get up."<p>

The only response he got was a muffled, nonsensical grumble as Jess curled her body even tighter around his pillow. Amused, Becker sat on the edge of the bed and gently pushed her hair back from her face. He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly.

"You're the one who wants to get there early," he reminded her, knowing she was half awake and listening. "You wanted to tell Lester before anyone else can."

Jess opened one eye to look at him, the glare ineffective due to the sleepy quality to it. "You should've let me sleep more last night."

"Really?" Becker smirked and quirked an eyebrow. "Because that's not the impression I got when you woke me up at one o'clock this morning, sweetheart."

His wife pouted, her cheeks growing pink. "But I'm tired now," she complained.

"We'll have an early night tonight," he promised, grinning at the expression that flickered across her features. "I mean to sleep, Jessica. You're the one complaining you're tired now."

"You're the one who's been holding out on me." She unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn and sat up reluctantly. "So it's your fault we've got a lot to catch up on."

"Uh huh." Unable to resist, he closed the gap between them to kiss her sweetly, drawing back after a moment and grinning again at the soft noise of protest that escaped her. "We're leaving in twenty minutes."

His wife arched a sceptical eyebrow. "Twenty minutes?"

"Twenty minutes, and no later."

Jess huffed and got up from the bed, throwing him a glare that only served to make him chuckle on her way past him to the bathroom.

Almost exactly _thirty_ minutes later, the couple left for work.

* * *

><p>It was no secret that he had a soft spot for the couple in front of him. For all of the couples, really, who worked underneath him at the ARC but there was something a little special about the Beckers. Whether it was because he and the Captain had mourned their fallen comrades together, during the dark period in which Abby, Connor and Danny were lost to them and after Sarah had died or because the Field Co-ordinator had become his right-hand man – right-hand woman – in the running of the ARC, not to mention the undeniably fatherly instincts he had towards her, Lester couldn't be certain.<p>

So when they came in early, specifically to see him, a few months after the near take-over of the ARC during which they'd both almost lost their lives, Lester was incredibly wary.

Was this it? He wondered as they took their usual positions in front of him, Jess in the chair opposite his desk and Becker standing, protectively as always, in position behind her. Had they finally had enough? Decided to call it quits?

While he couldn't blame them if that was indeed the case, he knew he'd do everything in his power to convince them to stay on in some capacity, just as he would do if it was Abby and Connor or even Matt and Emily sitting in front of him telling him they wanted to leave.

He waited for a moment, trying to glean something from their expressions but both remained frustratingly neutral.

"I assume there's a reason you requested a meeting at this time in the morning?" He asked after a pause.

"There is…" Becker began, only to be interrupted by his wife.

"I'm pregnant." Jess gave Becker a quick, apologetic look for cutting him off before turning back to Lester. Her eyes were bright, her smile almost nervous. "We wanted to tell you before anyone else had a chance to. It kind of… slipped out… yesterday at the anomaly site. The plan was that you'd be one of the first to know, and then everyone else, but it kind of hasn't worked out like that. Though none of our families know yet. We were going to wait to tell everyone after the first scan but, well, that hasn't worked out, either."

Lester nodded slowly, having heard they'd been involved in the previous day's incursion but having had no further details from any of the core team. He looked from Jess to Becker, who stood silently behind her. There were the beginnings of a grin on his face, though, a proud expression he was trying to fight but failing to keep hidden as he gazed down at his wife with open affection Lester couldn't have imagined seeing on his face five, almost six, years ago.

Returning his gaze to Jess, Lester saw her bite her lip, her expression expectant and almost… wary?

"My congratulations to you both," he said sincerely, noting the way Jess's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Is everything alright? I mean, with everything that happened…?"

Though they hadn't spoken about it, both he and Jess remembered all too well their mutual experiences at the hands of the people who'd tried to take over the facility.

"So far, so good. We won't know for certain until after the scan, which is one of the reasons we weren't going to tell anyone so soon." Jess shrugged, her smile brave. Behind her, Becker moved his hand to rest on her shoulder in a gesture of silent support. "But I feel okay, and everything's fine as far as Doctor Ellis could tell so… Everything should hopefully be okay."

"I'm sure it will be." He allowed himself a small smile, hoping to reassure her, and was rewarded when her shoulders relaxed even more. "Now, you do realise there'll be paperwork that needs to be filled in, risk assessments and that sort of thing?"

"I know. I'll have a word with HR and see what they need me to do from their side of things but I – we – wanted to tell you in person rather than just filling in a form."

Lester nodded, appreciating the thought. He hesitated for a moment, before broaching another subject he was reluctant to bring up. "I assume you'll also want to make some changes after the child is born?"

He knew, mostly through his wife and the relationship she'd formed with Jess, that the couple had discussed having children before and he knew that they'd always agreed that, when the time came, one or both of them would consider either leaving the ARC or taking on a different role. Neither of them wanted to leave their child with only one parent or, in the worst case scenario, without any parent at all and while Lester could respect and admire that decision as a friend and as a father, as their boss he was a little disappointed at the thought of losing one or both of them.

"That's still something we need to discuss," Becker answered eventually, his hand tightening on Jess's shoulder. "But as soon as we've decided, we'll let you know, Sir."

He gave them another nod, not wanting to push the subject any further when it was apparent they had no answers for him.

"Well, again, my congratulations. Jess, I'll leave informing HR in your capable hands but, in the meantime, if there's anything we can do to support you, let me know and we'll do it. And that means no more working overtime and no doing paperwork for other people just because you're better at it than they are." At the surprised and guilty look on Jess's face, Lester arranged his features into a stern expression. "I will be keeping my eye on you."

"Thank you." It came from Becker, not Jess, and was accompanied by a stern look of his own aimed at his wife. "So don't think you can get away with it just because I'm not going to be watching you all of the time."

Jess rolled her eyes but took the hand he offered as she got to her feet. "You're supposed to be nice to me, you know. Not be mean and gang up on me with our boss."

"I am being nice to you." Becker gave Lester a small nod of thanks as he led his wife out of the office. "It's in your best interests..."

As the couple continued to the hub, bickering light-heartedly with smiles on their faces, Lester watched them go and wondered how it was possible to feel both happy for them, and a little bit sad that everything was going to change.

* * *

><p><em>Next up: 'Photo'.<em>


	5. Photo

_Thank you as always for the reviews/adds/etc. *hugs* You are all truly brilliant :) Sorry I haven't replied personally; I'm still not 100% and the bad days are outweighing the good ones at the moment! Still, new chapter so yay for that._

Prompt: Photo  
>Rating: K+<p>

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><p>She wasn't sure why she was so nervous; she was supposed to be excited, not terrified, at the thought of seeing her – their - baby for the first time.<p>

She remembered the giddy joy she'd felt when she'd gone with Andi to her first scan when her sister-in-law had been pregnant with Lizzie, filling in for her brother because he'd been called away with work. They'd stared in awe at the grainy black and white image and the bean-shaped blob that represented the first of the next generation of Parkers and later they'd both cried happy tears over cream cakes and hot chocolate at a café just around the corner from the hospital.

Jess had always thought she'd feel that same kind of giddiness when it came to seeing her own child for the first time but instead she felt sick to her stomach – and she was reasonably sure it wasn't due to morning sickness.

Deep down, she knew the reason why.

Every so often, even weeks after her injuries had healed, she experienced an occasional twinge or ache as a result of the beating she'd taken when a rogue team from the future had tried to take over the ARC in the present time. Every so often, she was reminded of the damage that had been done to her body in the very early days of her pregnancy, before she'd even been certain there was a life growing inside her.

What if something Cartwright had done to her had hurt her baby? That was what she was terrified about, of having unwittingly failed to protect her child before he or she was even born. What kind of mother did that make her?

The hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she turned to Becker with wide eyes.

"It's our turn," her husband told her softly, his dark eyes concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." For his sake, she forced a smile, even while knowing he wouldn't be fooled by it. "Just nervous," she admitted, taking the hand he offered her and letting him pull her to her feet.

"It'll be okay." He squeezed her hand with his and led her gently to the where a woman stood waiting for them, a warm and understanding smile on the older woman's face.

"Mr and Mrs Becker?" The uniformed woman – Cindy, according to her name badge – confirmed quietly. "If you'd like to come this way…"

* * *

><p>Though she knew to expect it from her past experiences with Andi and had been warned by the ultra sound technician performing the scan, Jess still flinched as the cool gel was placed on her stomach. Her grip on Becker's hand tightened and he murmured reassurances as he stood at her bedside.<p>

"It might take us a little while to find the baby so don't worry if it feels like it's taking forever," Cindy assured her with a friendly smile.

Jess thought she might have somehow managed a smile back in return.

After what felt like an eternity, Cindy stopped moving the ultra sound wand over Jess's stomach and turned the screen she'd been staring at towards the expectant parents. "There you go. That's your baby."

The picture was a lot clearer than Jess could remember from any of Andi's scans. She felt her eyes fill with tears and squeezed Becker's hand to the point of pain as her husband leaned in to better see the image before them. "That's our baby," she murmured, unable to take her gaze from the mass that represented their child. "Oh, Hil."

"I know." Sounding as choked up as she felt, Becker lifted their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against the back of her hand. "Thank you."

Unable to speak past the lump in her throat, Jess could only smile, tilting her head back to accept the kiss he leaned in to give her.

"I'll get a couple of copies printed and give you a moment alone," Cindy murmured, her voice low as she slipped out of the room.

* * *

><p>It was real. It was really <em>real<em>.

Despite having the evidence in the form of a newly printed photograph in her hand, Jess couldn't quite believe it. She didn't think she would truly believe until the day she held her baby in her arms for the first time and _that_ thought was both incredible and terrifying.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Becker asked quietly, his voice a low rumble against her back as she leaned against him on the sofa in the conservatory as they settled in for the evening, music on a mp3 player on softly in the background.

Lifting her face slightly, Jess tore her gaze away from the scan. "That we're really going to be parents?"

"Well, yes, that." And the grin that quirked up the corners of his mouth made her heart do a little leap in her chest. "But it also means we're going to have to tell our families."

Glancing back down at the photograph she held, Jess felt a little jolt at the thought they were going to be a family, before the meaning of his words sunk in. Looking up at him, she bit down on her bottom lip. While her family would no doubt be thrilled at the announcement – her sister-in-law had been dropping hints for a while – and she was sure his mum and sister would be equally as overjoyed…

"Do you think your father will be pleased?"

Her relationship with Colonel Becker had improved massively since she'd married Becker but there were still times when she got the impression the retired military man would prefer it if his son was free to pursue his career instead of staying at the ARC – and with her.

Tightening his arm around her shoulders, Becker kissed her forehead softly. "He'll be fine," he said, sounding far more confident than Jess suspected he felt. "Thrilled, I think. He's going to be a grandfather."

Though whether he'd _really_ see that as a good thing, neither of the parents-to-be could say.

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Show &amp; Tell'.<em>


	6. Show & Tell

Prompt: Show & Tell  
>Rating: K+<p>

* * *

><p>The table in the rarely used dining room was perfectly arranged. Jess fussed with the flowers in the small glass vase in the centre of the table until Becker wrapped his arms around her, stilling her actions as he kissed the back of her neck.<p>

"It looks perfect," he told her quietly.

Even without looking at him, Jess knew his attention wasn't focused on the flowers but on the copy of the picture they'd left almost carelessly beside the vase.

A picture of their baby.

As if reading her thoughts, Becker let his hand rest over the slight swell of her stomach.

"Who do you think will see it first?" Jess wondered aloud, her hand moving to rest over his. Her money would be on her sister-in-law; Andi didn't miss a trick and had been hinting for a few months, wondering if her children would ever have a playmate in the form of a niece or nephew...

"Andi or my mum." He didn't hesitate, his chin resting on her shoulder as they stood staring at the scan on the table. "Possibly mum," he continued thoughtfully. "Especially since the women in her knitting group apparently keep asking her when they'll be able to make booties and whatever else a baby needs for her first grandchild."

A smile tugging the corners of her mouth, Jess turned in the circle of his arms to look up at him. "You talk to your mum about her knitting group?"

"I do talk to my mother, you know. Usually in the five minutes before she asks to speak to you." He rolled his eyes but she noticed the tips of his ears turning red. "And she brought it up."

"I'm sure she did." Her smile grew as his embarrassment deepened.

"It was probably her way of dropping hints!" Becker protested. "It's not very subtle of her when you think about it."

Pushing up on her toes so she could kiss him quickly, Jess laughed when he immediately tried to follow as she pulled away. "You can admit to being a good son, Hil. It's not a bad thing to be. Good son, brilliant husband. Means you're going to be a brilliant father, too."

His arms tightened around her momentarily. "I'll do my best," he promised, hazel eyes solemn as he gazed down into hers.

"I know you will." Starting in his arms when the doorbell rang, Jess broke away and smoothed down imaginary wrinkles in her dress. She gave him a quick smile, earning a grin in response, before the couple headed to the door to greet their visiting family.

* * *

><p>As with most family gatherings in the Becker household, it took a while for the arriving guests to gravitate towards the dining room, which was only really used when the couple were entertaining. While they waited for Jess's side of the family to arrive – her brother and sister-in-law were usually late, on account of having two children under the age of ten to get ready – Becker's side of the family were ushered into the living room, where they were offered tea and coffee.<p>

After making small talk and evading Margaret Becker's curious questions as to why they'd suddenly felt the need to have a family get together, the doorbell rang again and Jess jumped up to answer.

Almost immediately on opening the door, she found herself engulfed in hugs from her niece and nephew. Her seven year old niece, Lizzie, beamed up at her and took hold of one hand after having hugged her while her five year old nephew, Tom, wrapped his arms around her legs in a squeezing hug that would've had her losing her balance if not for the steadying hands that landed on her shoulders.

As those hands were attached to another of Tom and Lizzie's favourite people, the children quickly let go of their aunt in favour of throwing themselves at their uncle.

Surveying the picture they made for a moment, Jess turned back to the door to greet her brother and sister-in-law.

"You'd think it'd been a year since they last saw you and not a few weeks," Andi commented wryly as she took her turn in hugging Jess. "How are you feeling now? You look so much better."

Knowing Andi was referring to the injuries she'd sustained at work – though neither her sister-in-law or her brother knew exactly how she'd come to be hurt – Jess smiled brightly. "I'm fine. Better than fine. Go on through, the others are already here."

Stepping back so Andi could follow her children, both of whom were still clinging to their uncle, into the living room, Jess almost jumped when her brother moved closer, lifting his hand to her face. She rolled her eyes as Davey tilted her head first one way, and then the next, studying her intently.

"No new bruises," her brother announced after a moment. "I'm impressed."

"Don't be." Shaking her head at him, Jess moved in for a quick hug. "It was a one-off, Davey. An exception, not the rule."

"Glad to hear it." Her brother didn't smile at her. "You're still not going to tell me what happened?"

"If I could, I would." She meant it, too. "All I can tell you is that the chances of it happening again are slim to none." And that was true, too. Becker had personally carried out a complete over-haul of the internal security procedures at the ARC, and there was now a permanent security presence in the Ops room at all times. More often than not, unless he was in the field or running drills with his men, her husband would be sat at the designated station himself, doing his paperwork within easy reach of her station at the ADD.

"That's something," Davey said after a while.

"It is. Now let's go through and be sociable, shall we?" Hooking her arm through his, Jess gave him little choice in the matter, leading him into the living room where the rest of the family waited.

* * *

><p>After a little more small talk, and the children taking turns to catch Rachel and Margaret up on the latest tales from school, Becker and Jess were able to usher the gathered group into the dining room.<p>

Jess held her breath as everyone took her seats but her house guests seemed too engrossed in conversation to notice the unusual addition to the table decor. Catching Becker's gaze above their heads, she rolled her eyes and looked back at the table in time to see Colonel Becker's features contort in an expression of surprise before he was able to get it under control.

The older Becker glanced around quickly as if checking to see if anyone else had seen it, before looking up at his son and daughter-in-law. He didn't say anything but a small smile quirked the corners of his mouth as he gave them what could only be a nod of approval.

Relief flooding through her, Jess smiled back before leading her husband into the kitchen to start bringing through the meal they'd prepared earlier.

"One down," Becker murmured, reaching past her for the heaviest dish. "Four to go."

"Six including the kids," Jess corrected, turning her head to kiss his cheek quickly. "I wonder who..."

A squeal came from the dining room before she could finish the sentence. Recognising it as being his sister, they shared a quick smile before returning to their guests.

"Everything okay, Rach?" Becker asked, striving for casual as his little sister jumped up from her chair, picture in hand as everyone but her father looked at her as though she'd gone insane.

Rachel's answer was another squeal before she threw her arms around Becker, hugging him tightly for a few moments. She then moved to a beaming Jess to do the same thing. "This... You're... I'm going to be an aunty!"

Returning the teenager's embrace, Jess laughed at the stunned looks on the faces of the adults at the table who still hadn't figured out what was going on. "I take it you're pleased?"

Rachel squealed again – thankfully at a lower pitch – and let Jess go so she could study the picture she still clutched in her hands. "Is it a boy or girl? Do you know yet? Have you thought of any names? When's it due?"

"It's too soon to tell so no, no, and around the 25th March." Becker moved to stand beside Jess, rolling his eyes at the questions his sister fired at them.

"You're pregnant?" Catching on, finally, Margaret Becker slowly got to her feet. Her eyes began to shimmer as she looked at her only son and daughter-in-law. "I'm going to be a grandma?"

"I'm going to be an aunty!" Rachel declared again, bouncing up and down as her mum approached to take the picture from her. "I so can't wait!"

"Me, either." Her own eyes suspiciously bright, Andi rose from her seat and hurried to Jess's side, drawing her sister-in-law into her arms. "Oh, Jess. I'm so happy for you. For both of you."

Hugging Andi back just as tightly, Jess blinked away tears of her own. "Me, too. We wanted to tell you sooner but had to wait till the scan to be sure everything was okay." Feeling a little guilty, knowing she'd been the second person Andi had told she was pregnant after Davey, Jess pulled back to look at her sister-in-law.

"And everything's okay?" Andi smiled, wiping her cheeks when Jess nodded. "Then that's all that matters."

As Andi moved to congratulate Becker, Davey moved up to take his wife's place. Without a word, he drew his sister against him, kissing the top of her head as he tried to get his own emotional response under control. "I'm happy for you, Jessie," he said eventually. "It's about time this house was full of children again."

"There's only one for now but it's a start." Understanding his reaction, Jess gave him a watery smile when he let her go. They'd grown up together in the house that she'd reclaimed as her home with Becker's help and the thought of starting her own family there felt right though it was a little bittersweet to know their parents weren't around to be part of it. "Mum and Dad would be pleased, wouldn't they?"

"They would," he answered without hesitation. "They really, really would."

"Mum?" The note of concern in Becker's voice caught Jess's attention and she fixed her gaze on her mother-in-law, who stood staring at the photo from the scan. "Are you okay?"

Tears ran unchecked down Margaret's cheeks as she nodded wordlessly. Her husband moved to stand behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just so happy," Becker's mother managed eventually, lifting her gaze from the picture to smile at the anxious couple. "I'm just so very, very happy."

She moved to hug Becker first, murmuring an "I'm so proud of you, Hilary" in his ear before turning to Jess and hugging her just as warmly. "Thank you," she whispered to her daughter-in-law. "Thank you so much, Jessica."

Unable to speak past the lump in her throat, Jess could only hug Margaret back, watching over the older woman's shoulder as her father-in-law clapped Becker on the shoulder, beaming with rare pride, and her brother shook his hand and said something that made her husband grin.

Smiling, feeling teary again, Jess looked around at her family after Margaret let her go to gush over the scan picture with Andi and felt warmth flood through her as she placed her hand over the small bump at her midsection and let herself truly relax, confident that no matter what the future held in store for herself and Becker, if the worst were to happen to them, their child would be loved.

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Scared'<em>


	7. Scared

_Apologies for the delay - thanks to Emelie for the reminder :)_

Prompt: Scared

Rating: K+

* * *

><p>Relief was still the primary emotion she felt as she bid goodbye to their families. Sunday lunch had turned into a celebratory affair that had lasted well into the evening and, while she was pleased everyone was happy with the news, Jess was almost overwhelmed with relief that Becker's father had seemed just as thrilled as everyone else.<p>

About thirty minutes after they left, though, exhaustion began to take relief's place. She kicked herself mentally for not letting Andi and Margaret fuss over her and do the dishes as she stood in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher with the plates Becker was systematically bringing through from the dining room. When her husband caught her in the middle of yet another huge yawn, he set the salad bowl on the counter and took the dish she'd been holding from her.

"Go and sit down," he ordered, his tone firm but his voice gentle. He arched an eyebrow when she opened her mouth to protest. "I mean it, Jessica."

Fighting the urge to stick her tongue out at him, feeling she had to protest even though she was grateful, Jess rolled her eyes and shook her head as she moved to the kitchen table. "I'm not an invalid, you know." Still, she sat down obediently on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Living room's comfier," Becker pointed out as he took over loading the dishwasher. "Or the conservatory."

"I'll wait for you." Resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands, Jess watched him through tired eyes. "I think it went well today."

"You thought it wouldn't?" He gave her a small grin as he passed to go back through to the dining room to collect the last of the plates and cutlery. "I told you Mum would be over the moon."

"It wasn't your mum I was worried about," Jess admitted, doing her best to stifle another yawn. "But your Dad seems pleased so I'm happy. As long as he realises that our child isn't necessarily going to follow in the Becker family footsteps, whether it's a boy or a girl." She looked down at the slight bump at her midsection and put a hand over it. "He or she gets to choose what they want to do. No pressure from parents or grandparents."

"Agreed." He finished loading the dishwasher and set it away before moving to stand beside her. Offering her a hand, which she took with a smile, Becker pulled her up onto her feet and into his arms. "And even if our baby is a genius like its mother, he or she can take things at their own pace."

"Definitely." With a sigh, Jess leaned her head against his shoulder. "I just want a happy, healthy baby."

"Me, too." She felt his mouth against the top of her head and reluctantly stepped away just as another yawn escaped her. "You want to watch a DVD before bed? I'll even let you put on one of those girly romances you love so much."

Chuckling at the expression that arranged his features, Jess gave him a sweet smile. "Sounds good to me but don't be too surprised if I fall asleep part way through. I'm exhausted."

"That's apparently normal in pregnancy." Becker shrugged when her smile turned into an arched eyebrow. "I told you I've been looking stuff up. You're not the only one who knows how to use the Internet. And when you think about it, it makes sense. You've got a little person growing inside you, you know. We've got the picture to prove it, though I think my mum snuck the one you put on the table into her bag before she left."

She smiled again, hands moving automatically to her stomach. "That's why it was a copy, and the originals are already in a photograph album upstairs."

"Go get settled. I'll be through in a few minutes."

Following the order without complaint, Jess walked through to the living room and curled up on the sofa. When Becker joined her not more than five minutes later, it was to find she was sound asleep.

* * *

><p>He woke when he felt a chill against his skin. Becker frowned, still half asleep, and reached automatically for Jess. When his hand encountered only empty air, he was jolted into a state of full wakefulness and sat up in bed.<p>

"Jess?"

She'd been there when he'd fallen asleep. He'd woken her up and followed her upstairs, settling in bed with a favourite book as she'd curled up against him and slept soundly. After a few hours, he'd joined her, arms wrapped around the woman who had become his world, contentedness surrounding him as he fell asleep.

Groggily, Becker got out of bed. There was no sign of her in their room, and the door to the en suite bathroom was open, showing it to be dark and unoccupied. Stepping out on the landing, he started for the staircase only to stop when he heard a muffled noise coming from the direction of the room they'd decided would be the nursery.

Listening intently, he frowned when he heard the noise again, alarm racing through him and causing his heart to quicken when he recognised it for what it was: the sound of Jess crying, and trying to hide it from him.

Quickly making his way to the nursery, he pushed open the door and found his wife sat on the floor in the empty room. Her arms were around her legs, knees tucked up to her chest, and she lifted her head to look at him when he entered. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her lips trembled as she tried to compose herself.

"Jess." Concerned and more than a little panicked, Becker wasted no time in crossing the floor to kneel beside her, wrapping his arms around her shaking shoulders. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you okay? The baby…?"

For a long moment, Jess didn't speak. She couldn't. Overwhelmed, her tears continued to flow as she pressed her face against him and wept.

* * *

><p>Continued in 'Support'<p> 


	8. Support

_Prompt: Support_  
><em>Rating: K+<em>  
><em>Tried posting this earlier because of the cliffhanger but ff wouldn't allow it. Sorry!<em>

* * *

><p>Becker wasn't sure how long they sat on the floor in the room that would be their baby's nursery, just that it was long enough for his legs to protest when it eventually came to moving. Jess's tears had stopped but she still trembled in his arms, her breath leaving her in uneven gasps.<p>

He ran his hand through her hair, over her back, rocking her gently as he murmured repeated reassurances over and over.

She hadn't said a word, hadn't given him a single clue as to what was wrong.

"Jess, sweetheart." When he felt more than heard her take a shuddering breath, Becker gently tipped her tear soaked face up to his. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

She shook her head but her eyes filled with fresh tears. "I- I..." Jess bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head, evidently trying to compose herself. "I don't think I can do this, Hil."

Confused and concerned, he caught a tear that escaped from her eye with the pad of his thumb. "Do what?"

"_This_." She waved a hand around the empty room before letting it settle on her stomach. "Have a baby. Be a mum. I don't... I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

His first impulse was to laugh; there was no doubt in his mind that Jess would make a wonderful mother to their child but he kept it at bay, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it. Instead, he closed the gap between them and brushed his lips against her forehead. "Neither of us do, but we'll muddle through it together."

"That's not good enough." She shook her head, biting her lip again. "What if we mess up? What if _I_ mess up? I can't... I don't have a mum I can call up at three in the morning when the baby won't stop crying and you're out fighting dinosaurs or who I can call before the baby's born with last minute questions I can't ask anyone else."

"You can ask Andi anything and you know she won't lie to you. As for who you can call at three in the morning... I don't plan on leaving you alone with the baby if I can help it, Jess. I promise. If there's a late night anomaly, I'll help via the comms but unless I'm really needed, I'll stay here with you." He caught the part sceptical, part surprised expression on her face and lifted her hand to his lips. "We still need to have that conversation," he reminded her quietly, "about what we're going to do once the baby's born."

Jess nodded but didn't say anything, the thinning of her lips telling him the time for that conversation hadn't yet arrived.

"But," Becker continued just as quietly, "if you do need to call someone for advice and for whatever reason, Andi isn't available, you know you can call my mum any time you want to. Or even Mrs Lester. And you know I'll be with you as much as I can. You're not going to be raising this child alone, Jess. I promise. I won't let that happen."

Leaving her a widow had become one of his biggest fears since they'd married, and it had only multiplied in intensity after they'd discovered they were going to be parents. He knew too many soldier's who'd left their wives and families behind, good men who'd been denied the opportunity to see their children grow up.

He swore to himself he wouldn't put her or his child through that, just as he promised himself that whenever he had children of his own, he wouldn't be an absent father and would be there as much as he could.

"What if I mess up?" Jess asked him, her expression earnest. "What if I do something wrong and I mess up our child or he or she hates me or –"

He cut her off mid-ramble, his lips over hers silencing her doubts. Pulling back to rest his forehead against hers, Becker cupped her cheek tenderly. "You're not going to mess up, Jessica Becker. You're going to be a wonderful mother and our child is going to love you as much as I do."

"But..."

"No buts. And if we do screw up – emphasis on the _we_ – well, isn't that what first kids are for?" He teased with a lopsided grin. "We'll learn from whatever mistakes we make with our first kid and probably make a load more with our second."

As he'd hoped, his teasing brought a smile to her face and she hit him half-heartedly, shaking her head. "I'm sitting here panicking about our first child and you're planning our second?"

"Yep." He leaned in to steal another kiss, holding her in his lap when they parted. They sat in silence for a while, her head tucked under his chin, ear pressed against his chest listening to his heartbeat. "Feeling any better?" He asked after a while.

Nodding against him, Jess dropped a kiss to his chest before lifting her head to look at him. Her cheeks still bore the evidence of her earlier tears but her eyes were thankfully clear. "I'm sorry for scaring you. I just... It's real now. Everyone who matters knows and it feels real and that terrified me for a moment. But you're right." She leaned up and kissed him softly. "We're in this together, aren't we?"

"We are. Every step of the way."

They stayed in the room that would be the nursery for their child for a few minutes more, sitting in silence on the floor, arms wrapped around one another as they thought about the journey ahead of them.

Eventually, his muscles protesting at being still for so long, Becker eased her off his lap and stood, holding out a hand for her. When she took it, he helped her to stand and then wrapped his arms around her, leaning in to brush his lips against her forehead, her nose and then her lips.

"It's going to be okay, Jess," he promised her sincerely. "_Better_ than okay. It's going to be brilliant."

Jess smiled up at him, love and gratitude shining in her eyes, and kissed him softly before letting him lead her back to their room.

* * *

><p>Continued in 'Preparations', wherein the fluff makes a welcome return!<p> 


	9. Preparations

Prompt: Preparations

Rating: K+

* * *

><p>She was in her element. Absolutely.<p>

Becker watched from the other side of the sofa, rubbing her feet where they lay in his lap, smiling to himself at the contented expression on her face. Every so often, her brow would furrow and she'd start furiously scribbling something on the note pad she was holding, the frown fading as a smile of satisfaction spread across her face.

She was in planning mode and obviously couldn't be happier.

It reminded him of when they'd started making wedding plans, and he knew the super organised, detail-orientated side of his wife was coming back to the fore as she made list after list, note after note, preparing for the impending birth of their first child.

He couldn't see clearly what she'd written from his place on the sofa but knew from her mutterings and rhetorical questions that names for the baby and themes for the nursery décor were top of at least one of the many lists she'd written down.

After a while, Jess looked up from the notepad in her hand and smiled at him. She scooted forward, leaning in to kiss him softly as she shifted positions so she was curled up against his chest.

"I'm sorry I've been ignoring you," she murmured, her hand resting on his chest while she tucked her head beneath his.

"Don't be." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. "You were having fun, and I was enjoying the view."

It took her a second to realise what view he meant, her gaze straying first to the blank screen of the turned off television before a slow smile curled her lips, a light blush staining her cheeks. "If I remember rightly, it's probably down to comments like that that got us where we are today."

He chuckled lowly and moved his other hand to rest on the growing bump at her midsection. "I don't think either of us are going to complain about that."

"Hmm. Definitely not." She covered his hand with hers and laced their fingers together. They sat for several moments in a comfortable silence before Jess sighed, tightening her grip on his hand. "We've got so much to do before the baby gets here."

"We've still got plenty of time." He kissed the top of her head before letting his cheek rest against it again. "Why don't you go through some of the items on your list with me so I know what we're up against?"

That was all the encouragement she needed, and Becker found himself biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking when she flicked through the notepad to the first scribbled list, enthusiastically reading her musings aloud.

"First thing we need to do is decide whether we want to know if we're having a boy or a girl," she informed him. "Doctor Ellis said we'd probably be able to find out at the next scan, depending on the baby's position, but it's entirely up to you whether you want to find out. I've got mixed feelings about it."

"Mixed feelings?" Holding onto her, Becker manoeuvred them so they were both lying length ways on the couch, her body nestled comfortably against his.

"Part of me thinks we should find out," Jess explained quietly, "just because it'd make it so much easier to decorate the nursery and pick out names and buy clothes… But then part of me thinks it'd be so much nicer if it was a surprise and we planned for either and didn't know until he or she gets here."

"Do you have a preference?" He asked quietly. "Boy or girl?"

Even without being able to clearly see her face, he could hear the soft smile in her voice when she spoke. "I want both, eventually. But I'd be happy with either, or with a houseful of girls or a houseful of boys as long as they're healthy and take after their father."

He gave a surprised snort of laughter at her last stipulation and moved so he could see her expression. "You want them to take after me?" He repeated sceptically.

"Why wouldn't I?" She looked genuinely confused and arched an eyebrow at him. "You're the best person I know. And," she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "you don't look half bad, either, so if our kids look like you, too, that'd be a bonus."

Knowing she meant every word of it, Becker leaned in to kiss her lightly. "If our kids are going to take after anyone, in brains or looks or personality, I really hope it's their mother. Though I'm putting it out there right now that any daughters we have aren't allowed to date until they're eighteen. At least."

Jess laughed at him, shaking her head a little. "Do _you_ have a preference? Would you prefer a boy or a girl?"

"I don't mind." And it was true, he didn't. "All I care about is our babies and their mother being happy and healthy and being the best father and husband I can be."

Tears shone in her eyes but from the bright smile on her face, he knew he'd said the right thing. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" His wife asked a little tearfully. "Because I really, really do, you know."

"I know." He kissed her forehead tenderly. "And I love you, and I'll love any and all children we have together."

Gazing at each other for a while, it was only when the notepad she'd been holding slipped from her hand and dug into her side that Jess remembered they'd been going through her lists. "You still haven't told me if you want to find out what we're having at the scan," she reminded him quietly.

Becker thought about it for a moment. "I'd say let's not find out. If neither of us mind, we can just pick names for both and be pleasantly surprised on the day."

"Sounds good to me." She smiled up at him for a moment before returning her gaze to her list, biting her lip thoughtfully as she read the next two items. "We'll put choosing names on the back-burner for a while since there isn't any rush but we do need to start thinking about the nursery. The sooner it's decorated, the sooner we can start getting the furniture we need, like a cot and wardrobe and changing mats and nappy bags and clothes and toys and -"

"I get the idea," he interrupted with an amused smirk. "We're off next weekend. Why don't we head to a couple of the DIY shops and see if we can get some ideas on paint colours and wallpaper? Unless you've already got an idea in mind…?"

"My mind is a complete blank when I think of the nursery," she admitted, rolling her eyes at herself. "I can't settle on a colour or a theme or anything so it'd be a good idea to go out and see if inspiration hits."

"Then we will." He gave in to the impulse to lean in and kiss her nose when it crinkled. "Is that all you've got for now or is there something else…?"

Jess glanced again at the notepad. "That's all until we've settled on a design for the nursery."

"Good." Taking the notepad off her, he dropped it on the floor beside the couch before turning them so she was pressed between him and the back of the couch. "Now can I suggest a distraction from the thoughts I know are going round and round in your mind?"

Her answering smile was immediate. "Oh, please feel free. Distract away."

* * *

><p>Continued in 'Paint'.<p> 


	10. Paint

Prompt: Paint  
>Rating: K+<br>Author's Note: In answer to the questions... _yes_. I have decided whether our lovely twosome are having a boy or a girl. (Even have the name picked out.) But no, I'm _not_ gonna tell you... _yet_ ;)

* * *

><p>When Becker suggested they go to some DIY shops on their weekend off, he hadn't quite envisioned spending most of the weekend there. In his mind, he'd pictured maybe an hour at most studying paint charts and samples and wallpaper suitable for a baby's first bedroom, followed by lunch out somewhere and maybe a walk in the afternoon at one of their favourite parks.<p>

Almost two hours later, they were still in the first store.

Who knew there were so many shades of yellow and pale green? And who knew there was a whole aisle dedicated to wallpaper and borders for children's nurseries, ranging from every colour imaginable?

Every time they seemed to find a colour they both liked and thought would look nice on the walls of the room they'd designated the nursery, they'd take a sample of it to the wallpaper aisle and search for a border that matched it.

And they failed. Every. Time.

Jess was adamant that they have some sort of border in the room to break up the colour on the walls and Becker agreed. What he didn't agree with was how she insisted the colours in the border had to match absolutely perfectly with the colour they'd chosen for the paint – it couldn't a shade lighter or a shade darker.

And then there were the borders themselves.

And the theme.

It started off with generic toys – teddy bears, counting blocks – after Jess fell in love with a border with a pale yellow background featuring those items.

Ten minutes later, after venturing back to the wallpaper aisle to check the border against the paint they'd settled on, they saw a jungle themed border that they both thought was adorable (though Becker was decidedly less vocal about it than Jess.)

After that, it was a space themed border and matching paint.

Then back to the toy theme, with a different border.

And then they stumbled on a dinosaur border that was actually quite cute and somehow seemed fitting given their day jobs and Jess was all for it at first until she got teary looking at matching paint samples and decided she didn't want dinosaurs in their baby's room just in case some dinosaur-related fate befell one of them.

So it was back to the toys… Then back to the jungle… Then onto another animal design, and then a teddy bear design, and then _back_ to the jungle…

It might've been fun at first but Becker could see Jess getting more and more panicked as the day wore on. He knew she was a perfectionist at heart and knew how important it was to her that they get everything _just right_ for their baby but when her eyes welled up _again_ because she couldn't decide which shade of pale green would look best, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Literally.

"Jess. Jessica." He gently took the trial sized cartons out of her hands and put them back on the shelves. "Look at me."

"I'm okay." She tried to smile but the affect was ruined by the rapid blinking that accompanied it to try and rid herself of the tears stinging her eyes. "Really. It's just hormones."

"Hormones and stress." Deciding he didn't care about their fellow shoppers casting curious – and some sympathetic – glances their way, Becker tugged her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. "This isn't good, for you or for the baby."

"It's fine. I'm fine." She lifted a hand to wipe her cheeks but made no attempt at pushing away from him. "I can do this. We just have to make a decision and stick with it, then buy everything and find time to decorate, and then we can get the furniture and everything will be fine."

He had a sudden image of a very pregnant Jess standing on a pair of step-ladders, straining to try and reach a spot on the wall and had to stiffen his spine against a shudder as the Jess in his vision began to wobble unsteadily atop of the ladders.

"Why don't you let me take care of decorating the nursery?" He suggested quietly, soothing a hand along the curve of her spine before letting it settle at the small of her back in a gesture of comfort. "If you trust me to do it on my own, of course."

"I trust you. Of course I trust you." She lifted her head to gaze at him, biting her bottom lip uncertainly. "But it's a big job, Hil, and it's not fair for you to do it all yourself…"

"I'll get help." There'd be no shortage of volunteers, he was sure, both from their teammates and amongst the soldiers he commanded. "And I want to do it. But it has to be a surprise. No peeking to see what I'm up to, not until it's all finished and ready for you to work your magic with the furnishings."

A smile began to play on her lips and she gave him a small nod to show her agreement with the plan. "Okay. If you're sure?" He kissed her in answer and she laughed a little breathlessly when he pulled back. "Does that mean we can get out of here and get something to eat? The baby's hungry."

Becker smirked, quirking an eyebrow. "The _baby _is hungry?"

"Yep." Taking hold of the hand he offered her, her cheerful demeanour restored, Jess helped him pick up the paint charts and wallpaper samples they'd collected. "The baby could really, really go for a roast chicken, stuffing and gravy sandwich from the pub around the corner from the house. With chips."

"And I suppose the baby would like mayonnaise with its chips?" He led her from the shop, pleased to be leaving the array of choices behind them.

"Of course. The baby has good taste," Jess added with a wink. "We could go for a walk afterwards?"

"Would the baby like to do that?" Becker asked with a teasing smirk.

Jess smiled, moved his hand over her stomach and tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment. "I think it would," she answered completely seriously. "And afterwards, the baby thinks you should buy me an ice cream with chocolate flake and rainbow sprinkles."

He chuckled at her antics and let go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. "You do know you're crazy, right?"

"I told you that when we met," she reminded him matter-of-factly. "And you decided to marry me anyway."

"Best decision I've ever made."

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Kick'.<em>  
><em>And funny story (not really.) I wrote and uploaded this a week ago. I just kinda sorta forgot to update the story. Sorry! PS. If anyone's in need of any Jecker (or Skyeward) fixes, there's a couple of prompt!fics on my tumblr if you're interested. I should post them here, too, but the formatting goes screwy when I try since I wrote them directly into the tumblr reply window and, well, I'm too impatient at the moment to figure it out.<em>


	11. Kick

Prompt: Kick  
>Rating: K+T

* * *

><p>Of all the times for their baby to kick for the first time, it had to happen when she was watching its father go up against a trio of tree raptors.<p>

Jess sat on the edge of her seat at the ADD, watching intently as the team split up in an attempt at dealing with their latest incursion. She was almost grateful the anomaly had opened in an office building so she was able to help guide them using the CCTV but felt guilty almost as soon as the thought had crossed her mind as she thought about the young security guard who wouldn't be going home that night as a result.

As it was, she forced herself to square her shoulders and put the young man out of her mind as she focused on helping bring her team – and her husband – back to the ARC safely.

So focused on the screens in front of her, it took her a few seconds longer than it should to realise what the strange sensation she could feel actually was.

"Oh." She moved a hand from one of the keyboards in front of her to rest on her stomach, eyes round with surprise as her gaze sought out Becker on the screen.

"Everything okay?" It was Lester who asked, from his place hovering behind her. His overprotective streak was asserting itself more and more, almost in direct correlation with how big the bump at her middle grew.

Her boss had taken to standing in the Ops room – unnecessarily, in Jess's opinion – whenever there was an anomaly alert involving the core team to add Jess his silent support in case something went wrong. On one hand, it was incredibly touching but on the other, the added pressure of knowing her boss was watching over her shoulder sometimes didn't help much.

On screen, Jess saw Becker tense but otherwise remain focused on his surroundings.

"Fine. Everything's fine." She gave Lester a look over her shoulder when he opened his mouth to speak, shaking her head against whatever he was about to say. Becker couldn't afford any distractions, she knew, and she'd be damned if she let their baby kicking for the first time be the distraction that kept their child from knowing their father. "Matt, I've lost sight of the third raptor. The first two are still in the piazza; it looks like they're trying to figure out how to get out."

_"Right."_ The team leader sighed over the comms. _"Abby, Connor, meet me and Emily in the Piazza. Becker –"_

_"I'm tracking the third one now,"_ Becker reported without needing to be told. He'd been the last person to see it and as much as Jess wanted him to stay with the others, she knew it made sense for him to keep looking for the errant raptor.

_"We'll join you as soon as we've taken care of the two in the piazza. Jess, keep an eye out for the third one. Let Becker know if you see it."_

She rolled her eyes but bit her tongue against the idea that she'd do anything else. "No sign of it yet," she reported instead, moving her hand from her bump back to the keyboard so she could resume her search of the building.

The two in the piazza were dealt with quickly, and Jess was able to spot the third before the team joined Becker – just before it jumped out at her husband, giving her enough time to warn him so he could turn and shoot it. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the raptor fell a few feet away from him, hitting the ground as their teammates raced into view on the screens in front of her.

She exhaled shakily, leaning back in her chair as Matt declared the situation under control. She felt Lester come up behind her before she felt his hand on her shoulder and turned her head to look at him, attempting a smile at the concerned expression on his face but the attempt fell flat.

He motioned for her to cut her comm. link between herself and the team and she did so reluctantly, keeping an eye on the screens as the people she cared about most started heaving the unconscious dinosaurs back towards the anomaly they'd come through.

"Are you alright?" Lester asked her quietly. "Do you need to go to the medical bay...?"

"No." She shook her head but didn't try to force a smile. "I'm fine, Lester. Really. Thank you for your concern but –"

"You don't look fine," Lester interrupted bluntly. "You look like you're going into shock."

"I'm not," she insisted, though she wasn't entirely sure if it was true. She felt a little shocky, she supposed, and although she knew feeling her baby kick for the first time was supposed to be a thrilling experience, Jess couldn't help but think the timing had all been wrong. To have her baby kick while watching its father risk his life to keep other people safe was a stark reminder of the conversation she and Becker had both been avoiding. "It's just... the baby kicked," she confessed, glancing guilty at her husband's image on screen as she spoke. He should've been the first person she told, she thought sadly, and it should've been a happy, exciting time for them both to share.

Lester looked as confused as she felt. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is. Or it would be, if Becker had been here." She caught the understanding on his face and tried to smile again. "Just don't tell him. He'll be disappointed he missed it."

Her boss-come-father-figure gave her a solemn nod. "I won't say a word."

It was easier to let him think that was all that was bothering her so Jess turned her attention back to the team and reconnected her comm. link. She listened to Connor complaining about the dinosaurs they were half-carrying, half-dragging needing to go on a diet but didn't smile as she would have done before.

Instead, she let her hand drift away from the keyboard to rest over her bump, wondering when she'd feel her baby kick again.

* * *

><p>When Becker returned almost forty minutes later, he knew something was wrong. She greeted them with a smile as usual and although the team didn't notice, he could see it didn't reach her eyes. He knew her better than anyone and could tell when she was trying to hide something so he purposely lingered at the ADD, waiting until their teammates had drifted away to their own offices before leaning in to speak to her.<p>

"What's wrong?" He asked softly, almost afraid of the answer. "Is it the baby...?"

Jess started to shake her head but changed her mind part-way through. Instead of answering him, she took his hand and pressed it firmly against her stomach.

A grin broke out across his face when he felt the subtle movement against his palm. "Is that...?"

"The baby's kicking," she confirmed quietly, a smile on her lips but it was accompanied by a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. "It kicked when you were out in the field, looking for the third raptor."

He understood immediately, feeling a cold shiver dance along his spine. Although they couldn't say the incursion had been one of the worst they'd dealt with, both he and Jess knew it could easily have gone tragically wrong.

"We need to have that conversation, Hil. I'm not saying we need to make a decision right here and now but we need to talk about it."

Feeling their child kick beneath his hand, Becker could only nod in response.

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Difficult'.<em>


	12. Difficult

Prompt: Difficult  
>Rating: T<p>

* * *

><p>They drove home in silence and while it wasn't awkward, it wasn't exactly pleasant. Halfway home, Becker reached out and took Jess's hand in his. Her grip was just as firm as his, her smile watery but grateful all the same.<p>

Without saying a word, they let themselves into the house that was their home, hung up their coats and left their shoes by the door. Jess went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea, a sure sign she was upset, and Becker followed, watching her from a small distance away.

Tea made, they retired to the conservatory, one of the most peaceful rooms in the house, and curled up together on the couch that afforded them a view of the garden in which they'd been married.

The garden in which their child would one day play.

"We should be excited," Jess said after a while, her head resting on his shoulder as she clasped his hand in her lap. "Our baby kicked. That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"It is." He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her fingers. "But it's a reminder, too."

A reminder of the life they had created and were going to bring into the world.

A reminder of the conversation neither wanted to have but both knew was necessary.

"You could have died today." Her voice was soft but he heard it as though she'd shouted it. "You could die any time you go out to an anomaly. Or there could be an incursion at the ARC and I could die –" His hand tightened over hers, his jaw clenching at the thought. "Or we could both die and our child or children would be left with no one."

"They'd have our families," Becker pointed out, referring to both the families they'd been born into and the family they'd created with their teammates.

Jess nodded a little but wasn't soothed by the knowledge; he didn't blame her, knowing it didn't make him feel any better, either. "I know we could just as easily get hit by a bus crossing the street or die in a car crash," the latter was said with a barely repressed shudder, her parents no doubt crossing her mind, "but by staying at the ARC, we're increasing the chance dramatically that one or both of us won't live to see our child grow up and that... that terrifies me, Hil. I've been there. I don't want our baby to go through it, too."

"I know." Neither did he. He hated the thought of their child growing up without he or Jess or both of them there to see it. He hated the thought of missing out on all of the firsts he was starting to get excited about – first step, first word, first tooth, first day at school... He wanted to be there, for their child and for his wife, and the realisation that it was a very real possibility that one day he wouldn't be able to was utterly terrifying. "So what do we do? Leave the ARC?"

She shifted against him, moving so she could see his face clearly and vice-versa. "Neither of us wants that, do we? We wouldn't just be leaving the ARC, we'd be leaving the team. And leaving wouldn't make knowing about the anomalies and creatures any easier."

"No, it wouldn't." He'd already tried that, before the new ARC had opened. Though he'd been reluctant to rejoin having lost so many good friends, he'd eventually decided that the alternative – knowing what was going on but being unable to do anything to help – would be worse.

But that was before.

Before Jess, before their baby.

His priorities had shifted; his wife and their child took precedence. Since he and Jess had begun their relationship, he'd been afraid that something would happen to him and he'd end up leaving her alone. Those fears had only doubled after they'd been married and tripled after they'd discovered they were expecting their first child.

He'd seen first-hand the effects of losing a loved one on those who were left behind. Whenever one of his soldiers died in the line of duty, he'd pay his respects to the families that had been left behind and made a concerted effort to keep in touch with them. He'd met dozens of devastated husbands and wives, some who never truly recovered from their loss and others who had no choice but to stay strong when there were children involved.

He hated the thought of Jess joining their numbers, of his son or daughter growing up without having their father in their lives.

But did he hate it enough to give up a job he loved, despite its risks?

"The way I see it, we've got a couple of options," Jess spoke after a long time of saying nothing. "Things can stay as they are, as much as possible after I'm back from maternity leave, anyway, and if that's the case, we'll need to start looking into childcare options."

"My Mum's said she'd be happy to look after the baby while we're at work," Becker reminded her quietly.

"I know." Jess sighed softly. "But I'm not sure that'd be fair, not all the time. She has precious little time for herself anyway; I'd feel horrible about taking that from her no matter how much she insists it'd be okay."

He nodded, understanding her concerns and sharing them. "You said there were options?"

"There are." She bit her lip as she looked at him gravely. "Option two is that we both leave the ARC and get safer jobs elsewhere. Option three is that one of us leaves and one of stays but to be honest, I'm not sure how much I like that option. I can't stand the thought of being at home or in another job and not knowing what's going on. The day Lester came to tell me you'd gone through an anomaly was the worst day of my life and it's not an experience I'm keen on repeating."

Remembering the time she spoke about all too well, Becker tightened his arm around her. Though he'd been on the other side of the anomaly at the time, he recalled all too clearly making it back through only to be told she'd been taken to hospital, suffering from pneumonia.

"Any other options?" He asked, not liking any of those currently available.

"None that I can think of right now," she admitted. "But we've still got some time to think about it. Lester said we have until I start maternity leave to make a decision so we've got time."

He tried to smile for her sake, but the attempt faded when she settled against him, her head resting against his shoulder.

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Room'<em>  
><em>Sorry! The fluff will resume soon!<em>


	13. Presentation

Prompt: Presentation  
>Rating: K+<p>

_Happy Birthday, Prawn Crackers! x_

* * *

><p>He'd faced some challenges in his life, mostly those created as a result in his choice of career, but as Captain Hilary Becker stood in the otherwise empty room, he suspected that the greatest challenge he'd faced so far was the one right in front of him.<p>

Or, really, around him.

The baby's room.

He didn't regret offering to take over where the decorating was concerned; the relief Jess felt at not having the pressure of having to make all of the decisions was visible and he was willing to do anything if it meant his pregnant wife could avoid any amount of unnecessary stress.

But…

It was a big undertaking. Bigger than he'd thought. It was only when he was standing in the room, staring at the wallpaper samples he'd stuck to the wall and the little patches of colour he'd painted above and beneath them that he realised just how big – how important – every single decision he made would be.

This was their baby's room; their _first_ baby's _first_ room.

It had to be perfect.

Oh, the kid in all likelihood would never remember what the nursery décor was like but he and Jess would. And he knew his wife, remembered the way she'd spent hours planning and preparing for decorating the other rooms in the house, insisting that everything had to be _just right_ and nothing could be left unfinished or tackled half-heartedly.

Her perfectionist nature had paid off when it came to the rest of the house; it was a perfect combination of both of their likes and interests, and somehow even more of a home than the flat they'd shared at the beginning of their relationship. It was for that reason that Becker was determined to make sure the baby's room was just as perfect, fitting in with the rest of the house – their family home.

The other members of the team, once they'd learned he'd volunteered to take on the project himself, had offered him their help. He'd declined at the time but was now wondering if maybe he should have accepted – at least when it came to the actual decorating; he wanted to make the decision himself.

With a sigh, Becker narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. He reached out and took all but one sample of wallpaper down, trying to visualise what the entire room would look like with his chosen scheme.

It would work, he decided. And if he combined the wallpaper border with two complimentary shades of paint, both light and gender neutral then…

A grin curved the corners of his mouth and he reached for his mobile phone, scrolling through the contacts until he found the name he was looking for.

"Hey, Mate. You still up for painting and decorating next weekend?"

* * *

><p>At Becker's request, Emily and Abby whisked Jess away for a day of fun and frivolity – and, to his credit, he didn't even flinch when his female teammates teased him about encouraging Jess to use the bank card linked to their joined account to treat herself to something pretty. He just smiled as Jess protested, stole a quick kiss and told her to enjoy herself.<p>

Matt and Connor took the teasing of their other halves to the next level as they got to work on the nursery, bantering back and forth about how many shoes Jess would come back with – not many, Becker thought privately, since she was already complaining her feet were beginning to swell.

He was willing to put up with the teasing if it meant they'd help him get the room finished in time for Jess coming home.

They spent the morning painting, wanting to give it a chance to dry even though the brand he'd chosen boasted that it would take no more than four hours for it to be completely dry and ready for the border he'd chosen to be applied. After the painting was done, they took a break and popped to the pub around the corner for a quick pint and sandwich – at Matt and Connor's insisted, the latter of whom liked to tease that they were getting started early on wetting the baby's head.

By mid-afternoon, they were back, putting up the jungle themed wallpaper he'd chosen. Well, Matt and Becker were putting it up; Connor stood back and gave them pointers on how to get it perfectly straight. After the border was in place, they applied a fresh coat of gloss paint to the skirting boards and, job well done, retreated to the living room for another beer before the ladies returned.

Connor and Matt, having been briefed by Becker on his wish to show Jess the nursery without an audience, were ready and waiting when the girls arrived at the Becker household. Ignoring Abby and Emily's protests, they ushered their other halves out of the door almost the moment they stepped inside.

"That was… not very subtle," Jess told Becker after greeting him with a kiss, amusement colouring her voice even as she stifled a yawn. "Did you get finished?"

"Yep." Unwilling to let her go so quickly, Becker tightened his arms around her when she went to pull back. "Did you have a good day?"

"Good but tiring." She smiled softly and looped her arms around his neck. "And don't worry, we're not going to be bankrupt any time soon. I didn't actually buy anything."

He arched an eyebrow at that. "I told you to treat yourself."

"Nothing caught my eye," she admitted with a shrug. "Oh, there were some cute pieces of furniture and some toys I liked for the baby but I wanted to wait until we were together to get them."

"Good thinking." He held her for a few moments more, enjoying the sense of peace and quiet that had descended over the house. "If you're not too tired, we can go and see the nursery."

Immediately, Jess perked up, her smile bright and excited. "I'm definitely not too tired for that. I've been dying to see it all day."

Becker grinned at her enthusiasm and let his arms drop from her middle only to offer her his hand instead. "Then come this way, Mrs Becker."

She laughed and took hold of his hand eagerly. "Why thank you, Captain."

They walked hand-in-hand up to the top floor of the house, the smell of paint growing stronger with every floor.

"I've opened the window so hopefully the smell of fresh paint will fade soon," he told her apologetically as they came to a stop outside of the door to the nursery.

"It's okay. I quite like it." She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for doing this."

"You haven't seen it yet." Fighting a wave of nervousness, Becker opened the door and let her precede him into the room.

For several moments, Jess stood in the centre of the room in silence, taking it all in. Three of the walls were a pale yellow, one of them a pale green. The border was jungle themed and split the walls in half on the pale yellow walls and on the green wall, instead of the border, were larger jungle themed stickers arranged almost in a collage.

As she turned in a circle, she saw a giraffe height chart already affixed to the back of the door, her eyes welling up as she realised that one day they'd be able to use it to keep track of how the little life inside her continued to grow.

"Do you like it?" His voice was quiet, nervous and hopeful at the same time.

Jess turned to face him slowly, her smile watery as she approached to wrap her arms around him. "I love it," she murmured quietly, lifting her head to give him a lingering kiss. "It's perfect, Hil. Thank you."

Becker sighed with notable relief as he wrapped his own arms around her, cradling his wife and their unborn child close.

* * *

><p>Continued in 'Suggestions'<p> 


	14. Suggestions

Prompt: Suggestions  
>Rating: K+<p>

* * *

><p>It was only a matter of time before the subject of names came up.<p>

Having expected the first question to come from either his mother or her sister-in-law, Jess and Becker were surprised when Emily brought it up, over a rare team lunch in the break room on what was thankfully a quiet day at the ARC.

"Have you given any thought as to what you will call your child?" Emily asked, a little out of the blue since the previous conversation had been about the potential new funders for the ARC programme that Lester was busy sweet-talking in a conference call. "I understand you do not wish to know the gender but you must have thought of names for both?"

Jess and Becker exchanged a look before shaking their heads. "We've not really discussed it," Jess answered honestly. "There's so much to organise and prepare in advance… It's on the to-do-list," she added when Emily arched an eyebrow and Abby looked at her in surprise. "But the to-do-list seems to be getting bigger and bigger instead of smaller and smaller so…"

"Our kids names are already picked out," Connor spoke up with a grin. When Abby turned her surprised expression to him, he shrugged. "The future, remember? James and Jess. Though," he added with a frown, "it might be confusing with two Jess's around so maybe Sarah can be her first name instead, yeah?"

Abby shook her head slowly. "We'll talk about it when the time comes," she said instead of agreeing, catching a glimpse of Jess's surprised expression. "I take it no one told you what our children were called in the future?"

"No." Glancing at her husband, Jess frowned when he wouldn't meet her gaze. "You told me they had children but you never mentioned their names?"

With a sigh, Becker met her gaze. "They called their daughter Jessica because you died, Jess. It's not something I really want to think about."

Understanding dawned in her eyes and she reached out to take his hand, lacing their fingers together. "That timeline has been changed," she reminded him softly. "You saved me, remember?" Lifting their joined hands, she moved them so they were resting against her ever-growing bump.

Clearing her throat, Abby gave Jess a soft smile when the younger woman glanced over at her. "Back to the original question, have you any ideas about names?"

"There's a few I like," Jess hedged, not really wanting to reveal them until she'd spoken to her husband. "Any of you have any suggestions?"

"I always liked the name Edward for a boy," Emily answered immediately, earning a knowing smile from Matt. "It was my father's name, and it would be nice to honour him."

Abby smiled again. "I have always liked the name Sarah," she admitted, "because of our Sarah and my grandmother."

"Is it your grandmother you're named after?" Jess wondered. "Your middle name is Sarah, isn't it?"

"It is, and yes." Abby nodded. "I was named after both of my grandmothers, Abigail and Sarah."

"I like the name Luke for a boy," Connor piped up, his mischievous grin staying in place when they all groaned.

"And Leia for a girl?" Becker teased, rolling his eyes when the scientist only nodded. "What about you, Matt? Any names you're fond of?"

The team leader shrugged. "I can't say I've really thought about it. Though I suppose…" he added, on seeing a slightly downcast expression on Emily's face, "I like classic names, I guess. Traditional names."

"Like what?" Intrigued, Emily tilted her head.

"Like Edward," he said with a grin that made her blush. "And Elizabeth and Charlotte."

A sweet smile graced Emily's lips. "Charlotte would be nice," she said quietly, remembering her late friend fondly.

After a moment of silence wherein they all found themselves thinking about friends and family they'd loved and lost, Connor turned to Becker. "What about you, Action Man? You haven't contributed any names so far and it's your kid we're talking about."

"All I know is if we have a son, we're not calling it Hilary," Becker answered without missing a beat.

"Aw, Hil." Jess gave him a sweet smile. "There's nothing wrong with your name, you know."

"I know," he shrugged and tightened his hold on her hand momentarily. "And while it's a family name, it's not the easiest one for a bloke to live with in this day and age so the answer's no. We're not naming any son we have after me. End of story."

Jess pouted playfully but didn't argue. She knew it hadn't be easy for him growing up with what many now saw as a girl's name, even if traditionally it had been used for boys, too. The thought made her nervous, though, reminding her how changing times could mean any name they chose for their son or daughter might be outdated by the time their child was an adult.

"Picking names is harder than you think," she said with a sigh. "Kids can be cruel so you've got to be careful you're not giving your child a name other kids could pick on them for. And then you've got to consider how it goes with your surname, whether it's going to be too popular – I don't want our child to be one of five boys or girls with the same name when they start school – and then there's all of the abbreviations and nicknames to think about and –"

Becker kissing her softly cut off her rambling tangent. "You're over-thinking it," he told her when he pulled back, grinning at her blush while obstinately ignoring the smirks of their teammates. "We'll settle on a name when the time's right so stop thinking about it."

* * *

><p>The time was right almost a week later.<p>

Having been unable to get the conversation out of her mind, and having since had the same conversation with both his family and hers, Jess had compiled a shortlist of names she liked for their future son or daughter. Over breakfast one Sunday morning, she slid the list across the table to her husband, watching out of the corner of her eye as he set down the newspaper he'd been reading to see what she'd written down.

A grin curled the corners of his mouth and he got up from the table, returning a few moments later with a pen so he could make some amendments of his own.

When the list was pushed back across the table towards her, only four names remained. Two for a boy, two for a girl; the first name and middle name for the future addition to the Becker family.

* * *

><p>End.<p>

_... Am I little bit mean for not revealing the names? *g* I've had them picked out since before the start of this story and I can't wait to share them with you when the time comes!_

_Apologies for the lack of updates recently - things have been a little crazy and when I have time to write, I'm trying to focus on original fiction. I've set myself a goal of finishing the third in a trilogy of fantasy novels by the end of summer this year after realising that I started the first one nine years ago in August. I keep telling myself that once those are done, I can let myself relax and drift back towards the familiar world of fanfic :)_


	15. Cravings

Prompt: Cravings  
>Rating: T<p>

* * *

><p>As her pregnancy progressed, Jess began to experience more of the side effects and symptoms shed read about online. Some of them, the nausea and the exhaustion and the hormonally charged emotional outburst at the most inopportune of moments, she would have happily gone without.<p>

Others, she was quite happy to experience.

She was midway through her pregnancy when the first craving struck. Sitting at the ADD, counting down the minutes until she could clock off, she was suddenly hit by an intense desire for prawn crackers and plum sauce. It wasn't one of the unusual cravings with scary combinations that she'd been worried about having but she still managed to raise a few eyebrows when she asked – Becker would later say demanded – that they detour to their favourite Chinese takeaway on their way home so she could pick up her snack of choice.

And that had just been the beginning.

Toffee coated popcorn was something that had always appealed to her because of her natural sweet tooth; happily munching on it after coating it in a generous amount of onion and garlic dip was a little bit on the peculiar side.

Ice cream – vanilla flavoured, because for some reason the thought of ice cream of any other flavour caused her stomach to churn – also became a common staple in the Becker household. As long as it was accompanied by pickled onions – the little ones, not the large ones, as Becker learned to his peril when he returned home after a late night visit to the local shop with the wrong ones.

Whenever her husband or one of their friends or family complained about her new eating habits, Jess shrugged her shoulders and told them it could be worse – she'd read online about women who ended up eating chalk and plaster from the walls of their homes, after all.

She went through a phase of wanting French fries with mayonnaise, too – a normal combination of food but one that wasn't necessarily recommend for pregnant women. Although she tried the French fries with a number of different sauces and dips as accompaniments, none seemed to hit the spot quite like the mayonnaise that was only recommended in very small doses so Jess learned to go without.

Having never been one to enjoy really spicy food, Jess was surprised when, after deciding to try Indian food instead of their usual Chinese takeaway, she sampled some of Becker's hot and spicy chicken Jalfrezi and found she liked it. She liked it a lot. So much so, in fact, that she ended up trading half of her mild Korma for half of what was left of his with her very bemused husband.

Her cravings were what led her to be alone in the house on a Saturday night, pacing the hallway in front of the door as the clock struck nine thirty.

After watching an advert for fried chicken, she'd suddenly started craving the stuff. She wanted fried chicken and baked beans and Becker, ever obliging and feeling a little bit guilty that she'd spent most of the day struggling to get comfortable with a sore back and swollen feet, had offered to go and get her some.

He was good to her, Jess knew, and she wasn't about to start taking him for granted.

Anything he could do to make her comfortable and happy, he would. He always had, from the very beginning of their relationship. And since she'd found out she was pregnant and they'd gotten over the small stumbling block their anxieties had caused at the start, Becker was as doting and dependable as always.

He'd decorated the nursery, so she wouldn't have to worry about it.

He went out willingly for food runs no matter time, day or night, to keep her happy.

He massaged her feet, reassured her she was beautiful when she felt fat, constantly surprised her with flowers and little tokens of affection just to brighten up her day…

She was lucky, Jess thought, rubbing her stomach and smiling when she felt her baby move in response. They both were.

Becker would be just as a good a father as he was husband, she was sure. Kind and considerate, protective and strong… Handsome… with lovely hair…

Jess bit her lip and felt heat blossom inside her. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, thinking about her husband with a smile on her face. From that lovely hair of his to those eyes she could gaze into hours, lips she loved to kiss and arms she loved to feel wrapped around her… Hands that strip down and reassemble a gun without conscious thought but which were so gentle when they needed to be…

She heard the key turn in the lock – because of course he'd insisted on her locking the door behind him when he left – and pushed away from the wall, opening her eyes in time to watch him walk in, a bag of food clutched to his chest with one arm. He flashed her a quick grin before turning to lock the door behind him.

The scent of the food still appealed to her but it wasn't fried chicken she was craving right at that moment.

With a stealth that was uncommon, not to mention unusual for a woman of her condition, Jess moved to stand behind him so he was surprised when he turned back to her and found her so close. She stood up on the tiptoes of her bare feet and kissed him soundly, smiling when his free arm wrapped around her waist to pull her closer and a stifled groan escaped him.

His eyes were already dark when he pulled away. "Jess?"

"The chicken can wait," she told him quietly, taking the bag from him and setting it down on the side table without looking away from him. "I'm craving something else now."

It took him a few seconds to realise what she meant but when he did, Becker merely smirked and drew her closer, slanting his mouth over hers in a searing kiss that made her toes curl. "Whatever the lady wants…"

* * *

><p><em>So there will be 24 chapters in total in this story, if I've worked it out right. I'm bargaining with myself - for every chapter of original fiction I finish, I'm allowed to indulge myself with a trip back to Jess and Becker. Here's hoping it works!<em>


	16. Clothes

Prompt: Clothes  
>Rating: K+<p>

* * *

><p>Shopping, especially for clothes, was something Jess usually enjoyed.<p>

Shopping for maternity clothes, however, was proving difficult.

She wanted cute and colourful, short and sweet, and was disgruntled when most of the maternity dresses she could find were either dark colours or maternity trousers with elastic pouches that made her feel like she was wearing some kind of kangaroo costume.

Becker didn't win any points with her when he laughed when she said that but she supposed, after eating the majority of a tub of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Brownie ice cream that she could understand. The image of her in a kangaroo costume, complete with not-so-small bump, was quite amusing.

In a way.

But she wasn't going to admit that to her husband, not until he was finished making it up to her.

And part of making it up to her meant he had to accompany her shopping.

For clothes.

As much as he loved her, and as much as they liked doing as much of their usual chores and household routines together, clothes shopping was something Becker had learned at the beginning of their relationship had its ups and downs.

Oh, in the early days, it was fun. He didn't mind waiting outside of curtained off cubicles in dressing rooms if it meant he got a glimpse of her in various clothes of differing colours and styles. Since he'd developed a little bit of a thing for seeing her in formal wear, he usually tried to coax into trying on long, elegant dresses he'd liked to imagine helping her out of.

Seven times out of ten, she'd end up buying those dresses and Becker would take her out to dinner with the sole intention of making his imagined scenarios a reality.

But then there was the regular clothes shopping. Whilst he admired her work clothes even if some of the colour combinations still befuddled him – how she knew what would go and what wouldn't was something he'd never understand – shopping for them wasn't his idea of fun. She was as much a perfectionist when it came to what she wore as she was about everything else which meant for long, long mornings, sometimes days, spent searching the fashion outlets of their local shopping centre for an outfit he swore only existed in her mind.

Having laughed at his very sensitive and highly hormonal wife and the mental image she'd unwittingly painted, Becker found himself promising to help her solve the problem of maternity clothes but hadn't realised what he was getting into until the day of shopping dawned.

* * *

><p>Jess was right; shopping for maternity clothes was a nightmare.<p>

There was some outfits he would – under duress – admit were "cute". But they weren't cute enough for his wife – they didn't scream _'Jess' _when he saw her in them.

Some of the dresses were okay and he actually managed to persuade her to buy a couple when she admitted they were comfortable but there was nothing that seemed to fit with Jess's unique style.

The colours were all wrong for one. There seemed to be a distinct lack of maternity clothes in the bright colours Jess favoured – the colours he'd become accustomed to seeing her in.

_"Most pregnant women are sensitive about their, erm, weight gain,"_ one of the sales women had stammered when Jess had decided to confront them. _"Darker colours are more flattering; they don't emphasise the shape and size..."_

Becker had almost felt sorry for her when Jess had launched into rant about how _proud _she was of her bump and how she w_anted _to put it on display and had no intention of hiding it like it was a _bad thing _or something she should feel a_shamed _or g_uilty _about. She was a _married woman, _for heaven's sake, having her _first child_ with her _husband_ and why _wouldn't _she want to draw attention to that?

Since he agreed with every word she was saying, he'd stood back instead, a proud grin on her face as she gave the poor saleswoman – and the shop manager, who'd come to see what was going on – a piece of her mind before turning on her heel and storming out of the shop, her smirking husband following behind.

If he'd had his way, they would have given up for the day and gone home, where he could show her how much he agreed with her and how proud he was that she stood up for herself but after catching a glimpse of her downcast expression, Becker knew they wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

The breakthrough came in the last shop on Jess's extensive list. She hadn't been planning on shopping for maternity clothes in the popular chain for baby accessories – hadn't even known, in fact, that the shop sold clothes for mums-to-be.

They'd gone in with the intention of looking at furniture for the nursery, and to get an idea about a buggy and car seat, and hadn't made it more than five steps into the shop when Jess had stopped suddenly, her hand tightening on Becker's arm.

For a moment, he'd been worried. Was she in pain? Was the baby okay? But then he followed her gaze and felt a grin tug at the corners of his mouth.

Clothes.

Not just baby clothes, but maternity clothes.

In every colour and in every style that Jess had spent the majority of the day describing to no avail to hapless sales assistants in a number of big name clothes shops.

It took less than two minutes for Jess to get over her shop, letting go of his arm as she gravitated towards the brightly coloured garments.

He followed, catching the eye of another father-to-be who gave him such a commiserating look that Becker had to grin again.

Less than an hour later, she had her maternity wardrobe all picked out and a blindingly bright smile graced her lips. Just as Becker thought their shopping adventure was over, Jess took hold of his hand and tugged him to another display of clothes, her smile softening as she picked up a white baby grow with black writing and a little red heart image printed on its front.

"We have to get this," she decided, adding the baby grow to the pile of clothes draped carefully over her arm, her fingertips tracing the letters as she gazed up at him.

Becker felt his heart race, warmth filling him as he looked at the words and realised what they meant.

Realised that one day in the not-too-distant future, he'd be able to hold his son or daughter as he or she wore the outfit.

_'I love my Daddy this much.'_

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Decisions'.<em>

_If you want to see the baby grow in question, go to the UK Amazon site and search for 'I love my Daddy this much baby grow'. It's really quite cute._


	17. Decisions

Prompt: Decisions

Rating: K+

* * *

><p>It was becoming something of a pattern, Lester decided, as he watched the couple in the hallway outside through the glass walls of his office. They'd once again asked to see him before their shift was due to start but had refrained from giving him any ideas as to what it was connected with.<p>

Not that he didn't know, of course, which is why he was resisting the urge to reach for the whiskey he kept in the bottom drawer of his desk.

It was decision time, he knew, and he wasn't sure if he was going to like it.

The nervous expression on Jess's face didn't help, nor did the obvious way Becker stood reassuring his wife before turning to knock on the door. After he called out for them to enter, Lester watched Becker open the door and usher his wife through, noting the way Jess let both hands rest over her stomach as if protecting her unborn child.

"Please, take a seat," Lester offered without preamble, eyeing them as Jess took her usual chair and Becker stood behind her. "I assume you've come to a decision regarding what you'd like to do once the baby's born."

"We have." Becker answered for both of them, his hand clasping Jess's shoulder. "We've discussed it at length, both with each other and the other members of the team and we think we've come up with the best solution."

"It's a little bit different," Jess chimed in, giving Lester a small smile. "But when we talked about it, neither of us wanted to give up working here but, obviously, we can't keep doing the same hours and the same duties that we're doing now. Not all of the time. Not with the baby to consider."

"I understand." He thought he did, anyway. He still had his concerns but had begun to hope for the best at Jess's insistence that neither of them wanted to give up working at the ARC. "And just what is this solution you've come up with?"

"I want to cut back on field missions after the baby's born," Becker spoke up. "Not all of them. When I'm needed in the field, I'll be there. But I'd like to take on more of an advisory role for some of the lesser incursions. I could work from Operations, alongside Jess or whichever Field Co-ordinator is on duty, and it would mean I can introduce stricter training regimes with the military contingent, making sure everyone on a field team is as prepared for it as possible."

Lester nodded slowly, seeing the sense behind the idea. He frowned a little as he thought it through "You said whichever Field Co-ordinator…? I know we currently have back up staff but there's no one else on staff with the same job title...?"

Jess bit her lip. "That's where my part of the solution comes in. I don't want to cut back my hours, not really, but we were talking about it and thought, maybe, if I could train one or two back-up Co-ordinators so I wouldn't have to work from the ARC all of the time? Some of what I do when there isn't an anomaly can be done from our home office. General paperwork, ordering, collating reports… I'd obviously encrypt everything and we've got a good security system at home so it'd be safe and it would mean I can spend more time with the baby, at least until he or she starts nursery or school. I mean, I know we've got people who've volunteered to help with childcare but we don't want to take advantage of them."

"So you'd still be here what, three days a week?" Lester asked slowly.

"I was thinking maybe three days one week, four days the next? At least at first to see how it works out?" Jess sounded hopeful. "I mean, I know you'll have to run it by the Minister and get him to approve it but it's the only way we can think of to keep us both here but make provisions for the baby, too."

Lester nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I'll tell him I give the idea my full backing," he said eventually. "We don't want to lose either of you so the solution you've come up with sounds like the best possible option for all concerned."

"Thank you, Lester." Jess visibly relaxed in her chair, subconsciously smoothing the material of her dress over her unborn child.

"I have to ask, though, why you're not both sitting here handing me your resignations." He waited a moment, saw the surprise on their faces. "Not that I want you to, of course," he was quick to add, "but given the nature of your jobs... I would be disappointed but not at all unsurprised if you chose to walk away from it. Not one of us would blame you if you did."

"We thought about it," Becker admitted on behalf of both of them. "We talked about it at length but we both agreed not being here would probably be harder than being here. Not knowing what's going on, where the danger is... I can't protect Jess or our child if I don't know what's threatening them."

"We talked about convergence," Jess added, lifting a hand to cover her husbands, their fingers lacing together with ease. "What if there was another one? What if an anomaly opened up somewhere near one of us or God forbid at our child's nursery? Staying here won't stop those things from happening but at least we'd know about it. At least we'd be able to do something. We wouldn't have to sit and wait on the sidelines."

Lester gave them a thoughtful look. "What if one of you left and one of you stayed? Was that an option you considered?"

"Not for long." Jess glanced up at her husband, a small smile on her face. "It would be hell being at home or working somewhere else and not knowing what he's going through. At least this way, I still get to watch his back."

"And vice versa." Becker's expression was both affectionate and fiercely protective. "This is the only solution we came up with that we can both live with."

"Then I'll do my best to ensure it's one the Minister agrees makes sense, too." He was still owed a few favours, Lester thought to himself. There were a few strings he could pull to make it happen if the Minister didn't immediately see sense and realise this was the only way to keep two of their best people on the job. "I assume you'll want to know if it's approved before you tell the others?"

"Yes, Sir. We've discussed a number of options with them but we've not told them exactly what we've decided. We thought we'd hold off on telling them until we knew it was possible."

"A wise decision, Captain." Lester gave them nod. "I'll make some calls. Hopefully I'll be able to let you know by the end of the day."

Seeing the dismissal for what it was, Becker reached down to help Jess out of her chair. Lester stifled a grin at the muttered grumbling from the pregnant young woman as her husband all but pulled her to her feet, making sure he was looking down at the file on his desk when they left so she couldn't see. The wrath of a pregnant woman was not something he wanted to face.

As soon as he was left alone, Lester reached for the phone on his desk.

Three hours later, he was happy to deliver the news that their proposal had been approved.

* * *

><p>Continued in 'Restless'.<p> 


	18. Restless

Prompt: Restless  
>Rating: K+<p>

* * *

><p>Though she was exhausted, sleeping wasn't something that came easily.<p>

She just couldn't get comfortable. Anywhere.

When she first went to bed, she'd curl up on her side the way the midwife had instructed her, Becker's arm around her middle and she'd fall asleep but be awake after a few hours.

Sometimes she was too hot, and reluctantly eased herself out from under her husband's arm, careful not to wake him.

Sometimes she was too cold, and she'd cuddle as close to him as she could, seeking his warmth.

Most of the time, though, she was just uncomfortable.

Restless.

She'd try to go back to sleep, using all of the tricks and tips she'd both heard and read on the Internet. But when after an hour she found herself lying on her back, staring at the ceiling as her baby moved and kicked beneath her palm, Becker snoring softly beside her, Jess would creep out of bed as quietly as she could and seek solace elsewhere in the house.

The places she'd woken up – well, been woken up, after Becker had worriedly searched the house in search of her – were varied and not always usual.

There was the time she'd fallen asleep in the bath – covered instead by a blanket instead of bubbles, having climbed into it fully clothed and obviously without having filled it with water.

There was the time he'd found her in the rocking chair in the nursery, the gift from his parents a much welcomed one by the mum-to-be who liked to sit there sometimes, looking at the room that would soon be their son or daughter's.

She'd been found on the couch in the living room more than once, and curled up on the big arm chair in the conservatory twice, too.

Each time he found her somewhere new, Becker would check the time before deciding what to do. If it was still early, he'd make sure she was comfortable and let her sleep. If it was possible, he'd join her – either claiming another chair or couch or sometimes making up a bed for himself on the floor.

With that thought in mind, Jess slid out of bed as the illuminated clock display taunted her.

One AM.

She was tempted to either stay in bed and try to get back to sleep or maybe even wake Becker and see if he could help her sleep but she resisted both impulses. He'd had a long day, she knew, having to deal with two anomalies as well as introducing the first of his changes to his soldier's training regime. When he hadn't been out in the field, he'd been putting his men through their paces in the gym – not that she'd been watching on surreptitiously on the ADD screens, of course.

Deciding to let him rest while he could, she snuck out of their room and stood in the hallway, debating where she wanted to go.

The nursery was always a possibility; it was one of her favourite places in the house now, after their bedroom. It felt peaceful and calm, and it never failed to make her smile to think that in a few short weeks, their baby would be there.

Oh, she knew the baby wouldn't be sleeping in the nursery for a while; the Moses basket was there and ready to go. But it still gave her a sense of serenity to sit in the now fully furnished room and be surrounded by little visual reminders that she and Becker were about to embark on the next phase of their lives together.

She was tempted, but decided she wasn't going to be able to settle in one place so made her way to the staircase instead.

She walked through the middle floor of the house, where the guest bedrooms were. Though she knew the beds were comfortable, she didn't want to use one of them, knowing that once the baby was born, there'd be a number of visitors, some of whom might want to stay the night, and she didn't have either the time or the inclination to make and re-make beds in preparation.

Once downstairs, she debated whether she was hungry. Maybe that was what was keeping her awake? She stood in the kitchen, in front of the fridge with the door wide open for a few minutes, frowning at the contents before closing it when she realised nothing inside it appealed to either her or the baby.

The living room was the obvious next place to try, but Jess bypassed it in favour of the conservatory, setting in her favourite seat overlooking the garden.

She smiled as she remembered how much had taken place in the outside space of their home. Becker had proposed to her there, offered to make her old family home their home, and she'd accepted without hesitation when she realised he wanted it just as much as she did. After the proposal had come their wedding, their garden the chosen venue as they said their vows in front of their nearest and dearest.

Without a doubt, it had been the best day of her life. At least to date, she thought, fondly letting her hand rest over her stomach as her child moved as if to remind her of its presence. She was reasonably the certain the day their baby made its appearance in the world would be on a par with their wedding day.

Curling up as much as she could, she tugged the throw they kept on the back of the couch over her legs and continued to look out of the window, her eyelids finally starting to grow heavy as the sky outside began to get lighter.

* * *

><p>He woke at five AM, reaching for her when he didn't feel her pressed against him. Becker sighed, cracking open an eye when his hand encountered nothing but air and cool sheets and he didn't hesitate in pushing off the blankets and going in search of his wife.<p>

Wondering where he'd find her and in what position, Becker checked the bathroom first, relieved she hadn't decided once again that the empty bath was the most comfortable place to sleep. He checked the nursery, smiling to himself at the sight of the room even though it was empty.

The guest rooms, also empty, were checked next, as was the living room and the study-come-home office. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd found her asleep over the keyboard though he was pleased that she wasn't there, either.

The kitchen was empty and there were no dishes in the sink so he ruled out the possibility that she'd woken up for a midnight snack and made his way to the conservatory.

He shivered at the temperature in the room but still smiled when he found her, curled up on the small couch facing the garden.

Instead of waking her, knowing she wouldn't be able to get much sleep before their alarm went off, Becker made his way back upstairs to their room, getting their duvet from the bed before taking it back down stairs. He settled it over her before shifting her gently, sitting down before lowering her head onto his lap.

Running his fingers through her hair as she slept, a small smile on her face, Becker kept watch as the sun continued to rise.

* * *

><p>Continued in 'Twinge'<p> 


	19. Twinge

Prompt: Twinge  
>Rating: K+<p>

* * *

><p>Her due date was fast approaching but it wasn't time yet.<p>

That was what Jess told herself when she woke up early one morning and felt a slight twinge in her abdomen.

Braxton Hicks, she told herself. It had to be. She'd read all about on the Internet, had heard about it from both her mother-in-law and her sister-in-law. They'd both warned her about it, told her not to worry if she thought she was going into labour because she probably wasn't.

Especially before her due date.

First baby's, she told herself, were usually late and rarely on time. It was very rare for them to be early, or at least that's what everyone told her.

So she forced the slight twinge out of her mind and took her time getting ready for work. She only had two days left to go before the start of her maternity leave. She could get through those two days and then... then the baby could come. She was ready for it. Or would be in two days time.

"Jess? You want anything for breakfast?" Becker called up the stairs as she tugged one of her looser maternity dresses over her head and smoothed it down her body. Every muscle ached, every limb felt too heavy to lift.

"I'll get something at work," she called back, feeling a little sick at the thought of eating anything before they left the house. For all her morning sickness had passed early on in her pregnancy, she found she couldn't eat much in the mornings anymore though often made up for that during the day, which led to some of the team teasing her about having an appetite to match Connor's.

She ran a brush through her hair and tied it back in a ponytail, too tired to lift her arms for any longer than she had to. She put the bare minimum of make-up before padding barefoot downstairs, pausing halfway down to hold onto the railing, pressing a hand to her back as she felt _something_ tighten and then relax.

"Braxton Hicks," she muttered, exhaling slowly when it was over before resuming her journey downstairs.

Becker met her in the hallway, his brow furrowing when he saw her. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked, worry shining in the depths of his hazel eyes. "You look pale."

"I'm fine. Just tired," she added when he looked at her sceptically. "I might've managed to sleep last night but it wasn't very restful."

"You did toss and turn a bit," he murmured, moving closer so he could reach her. He let his hands settle loosely on her hips, holding her as he pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose before letting their foreheads rest together. "If you don't feel up to going in, I'm sure Lester will understand."

"If I don't go in for pregnancy related reasons, it'll automatically start my maternity leave early," she reminded him, recalling the conversation she'd had with Paula in HR a few weeks before. "I know it's only a few days early but I'd like to see it out. I've still got a few things I want to get finished before I go on leave."

Becker nodded but didn't look entirely convinced. "If you get too tired or don't feel well during the day, let me know, okay? Even if you end up working from home for the next few days, I'd rather you take care of yourself than push yourself when you should be taking it easy."

"I'm fine," she said instead of making a promise she couldn't keep.

"You better be." He pulled back to look at her, moved one of his hands from her hip to rest on her stomach. The grin that graced his face when their child moved as if in response to feeling its father's hand would never fail to make a matching smile appear on her lips. She lifted her face to accept the kiss he bestowed on her, letting it linger for a few moments in the hopes of distracting both of them. "Seriously, Jess. We've come too far now. If you need me, no matter what's going on, raise me on the comms or get someone to come and find me."

"I will." That was a promise she could almost make. If he was in the ARC and something happened... Well, there's no one else she'd rather have by her side than her husband. "I promise, Becker. I'm not about to go ahead and have this baby without you. I'll keep my legs crossed and shoot anyone who says I can't until you're there."

Becker chuckled, pulling back to look at her. She saw the amusement replace worry in his eyes and felt herself relax in response. "I don't think that's quite how it works, sweetheart. Keeping your legs crossed might not be enough to keep the baby from coming, no matter how stubborn you are."

"Probably not," Jess admitted, a teasing smile on her face. "Not if this baby is half as stubborn as its father, anyway."

"Me?" He rolled his eyes and moved away, shrugging into his jacket before holding her coat open for her. "I think you'll find you're the stubborn one in this relationship, Mrs Becker."

"I bet to differ, Captain, and I'm sure if we did a survey at the ARC, the majority of our colleagues would agree me with." She slid her arms into the sleeves of her coat, frowning a little when she tugged it over her stomach and felt the material tighten over her back. "I can't wait to be able to fit into normal clothes again," she grumbled, struggling to fasten the buttons.

"You'll be wearing them soon enough," Becker assured her, grinning at the exasperated expression on her face.

A few minutes later, after slipping her feet into the flat slipper-sandals that were the only thing she could wear comfortably, Jess let Becker lead her out of the house and towards their car.

It was just a twinge, she told herself, just a fluke.

First baby's were never early... were they?

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Timing'<em>  
><em>Apologies if anyone's annoyed with the 'spamming' of chapters - just aware I've been dragging my feet where this story is concerned in comparison to previous stories so trying to get it done for those who've been following it since February, plus I've actually got time to write at the moment (hooray!) so am taking full advantage. Huge hugs for the reviews as always xx<em>


	20. Timing

Prompt: Timing

Rating: T

* * *

><p>Their baby, Jess decided, had somehow already inherited its sense of timing from its parents. Neither she or Becker liked to be late for anything and it was a running joke between their teammates that the couple would always arrive first for any appointments or get together's they arranged.<p>

They liked being on time, Jess liked to argue in their defence. And being on time usually meant getting there a few minutes before to make sure they weren't late, Becker added with a wink in his wife's direction.

Unfortunately, the same could be said for their child as the twinges she'd felt at home were definitely not going away.

Not in the slightest.

"Your timing sucks," she told her unborn child after muting the comms for the third time to exhale deeply as a contraction struck. "We're going to have words about this when you're born," she threatened, feeling the muscles of her abdomen go hard beneath the hand she'd let rest over it.

"Talking to yourself, Mrs Becker?" Lester's voice startled her and she turned slightly, breathing through the pain to see him standing beside her.

A few feet away, the two Field Co-ordinators she'd been training worked together to talk the team through their current incursion.

An incursion her husband was out in the field helping to take care of.

"I'm fine." The reassurance was automatic, accompanied by a fake smile Jess knew Lester would be able to see through.

"You're not fine." Lester's eyes widened and she might have laughed at his expression if the situation had been different. "Jess," he glanced around them, lowering his voice even though there was no one else around. "Are you in labour?"

"No." It wasn't as convincing through gritted teeth but Jess did her best. She tightened her hold on the edge of the desk as one of the trainee Field Co-ordinators swivelled around in her chair to see her. "I'm not."

"Mrs Becker?" The Co-ordinator, Louisa, the female half of the duo she'd been training throughout her pregnancy, stared at her in concern. "Another anomaly has opened. Do we mobilise another unit?"

"Yes." Pushing all thoughts of labour and bad timing out of her mind, Jess waddled with as much dignity as she could muster to the ADD, reaching a hand up to turn on her comm. link just in time to hear Becker ask where she was. "I'm here, Becker. Lester needed me for a minute. Louisa, alert the Beta team and tell them to switch channels. You can coordinate them and Mark can keep working with the Alpha team."

Her trainees both nodded and got to work, sharing the multitude of keyboards and screens laid out before them at the ADD. It was strange, Jess thought, to be taking a backseat and not being as involved as she would be normally but she couldn't bring herself to be too sad about it, not when she could barely concentrate on one team whilst in labour let alone two.

She stood over her trainees as they got to work, listened to them direct the men and women in the field with minimal hesitation. She was proud of them; as much as she loved her job and was looking forward to getting back to it after her maternity leave, she was pleased she'd be leaving her people in good hands until she was ready to return.

Lester hovered at her elbow so he noticed when the next contraction began to build. Jess bit her lip to hold back a groan, beads of sweat breaking out across her brow as she lifted her hand to deactivate her comm. link again.

"Ms Hargreaves," Lester spoke, addressing Louisa. "Please inform Captain Becker –"

"No." Jess cut him off, reaching out to grab his arm. She tightened her grip as the contraction hit fully and closed her eyes, breathing through it the way she'd been taught in her antenatal classes. "Please don't tell him," she begged when she was able, opening her eyes to plead with Lester. "I don't want him to worry or be distracted, not when they're dealing with an incursion."

"Sir?" Louisa, on the comms with the Beta team, glanced at the ARC Director over her shoulder.

"Never mind," Lester said with a sigh. "But you," he continued, addressing Jess as she gave him a grateful smile," are going straight to the medical bay."

"I'm fine," Jess protested. "I need to be here, Sir. I need –"

"You go to the medical bay or I tell your husband you're in labour." Lester's expression made it clear there was no alternative option available to her.

Rolling her eyes, Jess tried to glare at him but the effect was ruined when she felt another contraction begin. "Okay, you win. I'll go to the med bay." She glanced at the ADD to find both of her trainees looking at her nervously. "You guys will be fine. But please don't tell Becker where I am. Just say... say Lester called me away to deal with something," she suggested, giving her boss another glare even as he wrapped an arm around her waist to support her as the contraction continued to build. "And if you can help them close the anomaly soon so my husband can get back here, I'd really appreciate it."

Mark nodded and turned his attention back to the Alpha team. Louisa gave her a nervous smile and turned her attention back to the Beta team.

"You'll come with me?" Jess asked Lester quietly through her panting breaths. "Please, Lester."

His expression softened and he inclined his head. "I'll come with you," he promised, helping guide her out of the Hub towards the door out of the Ops room.

"Will you stay with me?" She murmured, clutching his arm as they navigated both the stairs and her concerned colleagues who gave her reassuring smiles when she glanced at them. "Until Becker gets here?"

"Of course." He glanced at his watch out of the corner of his eye, making a mental note to start timing the gap between her contractions. "I won't leave you alone, Jess. I promise."

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Surprise'<em>


	21. Pleased

Prompt: Pleased  
>Rating: K+T

* * *

><p>He wasn't pleased when Lester suddenly decided he needed Jess's attention elsewhere and he stopped hearing her voice in his ear.<p>

He wasn't pleased when her trainee Coordinator, Mark, told him he couldn't patch him through to her _"because she was busy."_

He wasn't pleased when one of his newest recruits got nervous and ran away from the giant rodent-like creatures that had come through the anomaly, knocking over the locking device as he did.

He wasn't pleased when, after eventually getting the incursion under control and the anomaly locked, he returned to the ARC to find Lester had left him a message at the first security checkpoint ordering him to report to the medical bay.

He wasn't pleased when he realised why his boss would leave such a strange order.

"Jess. Oh, God. The baby!"

He wasn't pleased when instead of sharing his concern, his teammates started to get giddy. Abby and Emily beamed at each other, Connor and Matt grinned, and he wasn't pleased when he started running towards the medical bay and sensed they were close on his heels.

He wasn't pleased to get there and find out that his wife was in labour and had made everyone promise not to tell him for fear he'd be distracted whilst out in the field.

He wasn't pleased when one of the nurses refused to allow him entry, until he'd changed out of his dusty uniform and scrubbed up.

He wasn't pleased to finally get through the doors and see Jess on one of the hospital beds, her cheeks flushed and her brow damp, holding Lester's hand in a death grip if the expression on their boss's face was anything to go by.

He was pleased when she looked up and noticed him, the relieved smile on her face making all of his displeasure fade.

He was pleased when she let go of Lester's hand to reach out for him, her fingers wrapping around his as soon as he closed the distance between them and arrived at her bedside.

He was pleased when she leaned into him, letting him hold her and kiss her forehead and push her damp hair back from her face.

"I'm so glad you're here," she murmured, lifting her face to kiss him a little clumsily. "I was worried you wouldn't make it, that I'd have to do this without you."

"I'm here," he assured her quietly, cupping her face and kissing her sweetly. "I would've been here sooner if you'd told me –"

"I didn't want you to worry. Didn't want you to rush." She tensed under his hands as the beginnings of another contraction began. "Your driving can be scary at the best of times," she tried to joke in between deep breaths.

Becker laughed and shook his head, holding her hand as tightly as she held onto his. "If you think I'm bad, you should get in a car with Emily when she's in a hurry," he retorted. "That's a truly terrifying experience."

"I'll take... your word for it," Jess gasped as the contraction hit.

Lester backed away from the bed, glancing at the doctor for reassurance when she cried out. When Doctor Ellis nodded to let him know everything was progressing normally, he exhaled in relief and headed for the door. "If you have no need of me, I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you," Jess managed, trying to smile for him.

"Yes, thank you," Becker added, glancing up from his wife to look at his boss.

The two men exchanged a glance and Lester gave a small smile at what he saw on Becker's face. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

He left them alone with Doctor Ellis and a nurse, both of whom Becker easily forgot about as he turned his attention back to his wife. "Are you okay?" He asked her once the pain had passed. "I mean, I know you're probably hurting right now but... You're okay, aren't you? Everything's... everything's okay?"

"Everything's fine, I think." Jess, a little breathless, glanced passed him to Doctor Ellis, who was standing beside one of the machines in the room, looking at the readings it was producing. "Doctor Ellis? Is everything okay?"

The doctor smiled reassuringly. "Everything's progressing fine, Mrs Becker, Captain Becker," she reported calmly. "We'll check you again in a little while to see how far you're dilated. Last time we checked, your wife was at four centimetres."

"It feels like I've been here forever," Jess confessed when Becker turned his attention back to her, leaning into him as he settled on the bed beside her. "I can't wait for this to be over."

"Me, either." Both, Becker thought, because he wanted to meet their child and because he hated the thought of his wife being in any degree of pain or discomfort. "When did it start? How long have you known?"

Jess gave him a sheepish smile. "I didn't know until after you'd left the ARC. I felt something this morning," she admitted, biting her lip. "I thought it was Braxton Hicks. Your Mum said she had them with you, and I know Andi had them with Lizzie so I thought... I thought that's what it was and I didn't want to worry you because I thought it was too early to be real labour."

"Obviously baby Becker is as anxious to meet us as we are to meet him or her," Becker grinned, stroking back a lock of hair that had fallen across her face. "You should have told me, though. Even if you weren't sure, you should have said and I would have stayed –"

"If I wasn't in real labour, you would have stayed for no reason," Jess pointed out. "And it doesn't matter now. Our baby's coming and you're here with me. And that's all that matters."

"You're right." He kissed her forehead and pulled back to look at her, excitement beginning to course through him at the thought of soon being able to hold their child for the first time. "This is going to be amazing, Jess. I can't wait to meet our baby."

"Me, either." She smiled again, both anxious and eager. "Hopefully we won't have to wait much longer."

* * *

><p><em>Continued in 'Brilliant'.<em>


	22. Brilliant

Prompt: Brilliant  
>Rating: K+T

* * *

><p>Hours one and two were hard.<p>

Three and four were difficult.

Five and six were somehow, unbelievably to Jess, even worse.

When it got to hour seven of being in the medical bay with no sign of her baby, Jess was ready to give up.

She was exhausted, every muscle in her body aching and demanding she rest but every time she tried to close her eyes, she'd feel another contraction begin and instantly be awake again.

She was only just eight centimetres dilated so it was far too early to push no matter how much she wanted it to be over.

"This can't be normal," she mumbled, not really sure who she was talking to. "This can't be right."

"I'm afraid it is, Mrs Becker." The nurse who'd been left by Doctor Ellis to tend to her gave her a friendly smile that Jess wanted to wipe off her face. "It's your first child. There's no rushing these things, we just have to wait for nature to take its course."

"It needs to take its course faster," Jess ground out, leaning forward as she felt her muscles begin to cramp once again. "I can't do this. I can't."

"Yes, you can." Becker, having re-entered the room after leaving briefly to give their waiting family and friends a quick update, was beside her in an instant, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. He clasped her hand in his, lifting it to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. "You're doing great, Jess. It won't be long now."

"You said that three hours ago," Jess complained, knowing in the back of her mind that it wasn't her fault but unable to bring herself to acknowledge it. "I'm so tired, Hil. It's so hard."

"I know." He turned her hand in his and kissed her palm. "I know it is, sweetheart, and if I could trade places with you, I would but I can't." He lifted his other hand to cup her cheek, catching an exhausted tear that escaped from her eye with the pad of his thumb. "You can do this, Jess. You're the strongest person I've ever met and I know you can do this."

"What if I can't?" She whimpered, hating herself for it. "What if it's too much and I can't do this? I don't want to let you down. I don't want to let you or the baby down."

The sight of tears in her eyes and anguish on her face made Becker's heart ache. "You can. And you're not going to let me down, or the baby. You are brilliant, Jessica Becker. You are going to be an amazing mother to our child. It's just going to take a little longer than we thought it would, that's all."

She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes against the sting of tears in them. "I'm just so tired," she murmured, her breath catching in her throat.

"I know, baby." He shifted on the bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and letting his forehead rest against hers. "I know."

Another hour passed, painfully slowly. Near the end of it, Doctor Ellis returned and confirmed that though her labour had progressed, Jess still wasn't ready to push. Another thirty minutes later, however, and it was finally beginning to look like it was time.

"You can do this," Becker coaxed, letting her crush his hand as another contraction hit her slender frame. "You're strong, Jess. You can do this. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead as she fell back against the pillows, her breath leaving her in uneven pants. "I'm so so proud of you."

Jess tried to smile but it didn't last. Almost as soon as she started to relax, her body tensed again, the contractions coming quicker and quicker as she cried out.

"That was less than two minutes," Doctor Ellis announced, sounding excited despite the late – early – hour of day. "I'm just going to check you over again, Mrs Becker, but I think it might be nearly time to push."

"Oh, thank god." Jess let her head fall back onto Becker's shoulder when he shifted to sit behind her. She closed her eyes as the doctor began her examination, too far into her labour to get about being embarrassed about the situation. "Please, please tell me I can push soon."

Doctor Ellis straightened, a smile on her face. "You can. I'm just going to get the nurse back in here and then we can get this show on the road, okay?"

"Okay." Jess opened her eyes when Becker moved so she could see his face. She smiled at the tender expression on his face, at the way he looked at her with such adoration in his eyes. "It's nearly time," she murmured, lifting a trembling hand to touch his cheek. "We'll meet our baby soon."

"I know." Becker leaned in to kiss her gently, lovingly. He only broke away when the door opened again, admitting Doctor Ellis and a nurse, a different one from earlier. Squeezing Jess's hand, he slid off the bed to stand beside her, their fingers still clasped. "Whatever you need, I'm here," he vowed quietly. "Scream at me, shout at me, break my hand if you want to. I'm here, sweetheart, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

* * *

><p><em>To be continued in 'Arrival'<em>


	23. Arrival

Prompt: Arrival  
>Rating: T<p>

* * *

><p>It took another forty minutes.<p>

Jess pushed when she was directed to, panting in between contractions. She held onto Becker's hand as he lingered beside her, murmuring encouragement and reassurances, telling her over and over how proud he was, how great she was doing and how it would all be worth it as soon as they got to hold their baby for the first time.

Despite her own pain and the fear she felt at the thought that something might go wrong, Jess saw the worry and concern on his face, saw the way he flinched every time she cried out and tried to reassure him, in between contractions and large gulps of the gas and air that the nurse instructed her to inhale, that everything was going to be okay, that she was okay, just a little bit sore.

She didn't insult him, though Becker wouldn't have blamed her if she had.

She didn't yell at him, blame him for her situation or threaten to castrate him with a dulled knife like her sister-in-law had threatened her brother during labour with her first child.

Becker kissed her forehead, wiped her brow with the cool cloth the nurse had provided. He held onto her as she trembled with the effort of bringing their child into the world and he made no attempt at hiding the tears in his eyes when Doctor Ellis announced she could see the head.

He stayed with Jess, coaching her as best as he could, as their baby was delivered.

When the child's cry pierced the air of the room and Jess slumped against him, an exhausted but happy smile on her face, a tear slid down his cheek and he made no attempt at wiping it away.

"Congratulations, Captain, Mrs Becker," Doctor Ellis beamed at them, any and all traces of exhaustion gone as the nurse took their baby to the other side of the room to be weighed and measured. "You have a healthy baby girl."

"A girl." Jess smiled tiredly, leaning back against Becker when he settled behind her again. She closed her eyes but opened them when she sensed movement, her eyes beginning to shimmer as the nurse returned with their baby, and set her down gently in Jess's arms. "Oh, Hil. She's perfect."

"Like her mother," Becker murmured, his voice hoarse. He gazed down at the baby in her arms, smiling when he noticed the wide blue eyes staring back at him. Oh, logically he knew his daughter couldn't see him but he liked to think she could, her little wrinkled brow furrowing as she stared up at her parents for the first time. "Hello, darling." He reached out and touched the back of her clenched hand with the tip of one finger. "I'm your Daddy."

They stared at her in awe and wonder for several moments, until Jess started to shift uncomfortably. "I think it's time for you to hold her," she murmured. "Why don't you go and introduce her to the others?"

Carefully taking his daughter in his arms for the first time, Becker gazed at the tiny person in his arms incredulously. "Are you sure...?"

"I'm sure." Jess smiled at him when he was able to tear his gaze away from their daughter. She grimaced a little and moved her hand to her stomach. "I need to get cleaned up. Go, introduce our girl to the rest of the team and then bring her back to me for mummy-daughter cuddles, okay?"

Becker grinned and carefully leaned down to kiss her forehead before straightening, their daughter cradled to his chest. "I'll be right back."

* * *

><p>Despite the late hour, it didn't surprise him that the rest of the team were still waiting in the hallway outside. Since Jess had gone into labour at the ARC, their families weren't able to be there but he knew Abby and Emily, with Lester's help, had been keeping both the Beckers and Parkers informed every step of the way.<p>

The two women were the first to look up when the door opened, their faces lighting up in identical smiles when they saw what – who – he was holding so carefully in his arms.

"Oh my god," Abby was the first to move, her eyes suspiciously bright as she looked from Becker to the baby he held. "Oh, Becker."

"I'd like you all to meet Lillian Sophia Becker," he announced, keeping his voice quiet so not to disturb the little girl in his arms. "She's beautiful, just like her mother."

"Oh, she is." Emily gazed at the baby, her grip on Matt's arm tightening as Lily stared up at the strange faces around her. "Oh, she's absolutely gorgeous."

"How's Jess?" Lester asked, keeping his voice quiet, too.

"Amazing," Becker answered immediately, unable to take his gaze off his daughter. "She's exhausted, obviously, but she was brilliant."

"Of course she was." Connor grinned like a proud brother and Becker thought he would've clapped him on the back if not for the precious bundle he still held. "It's Jess; she's always brilliant."

Matt grinned his agreement. "You did well, Mate. She's gorgeous. Definitely takes after her mum."

He didn't offer to let them hold her, finding that he didn't want to let her go. It was only after a few minutes when he realised he had some phone calls to make and couldn't do that while still holding onto his daughter that Becker reluctantly relinquished control of her to Abby, who moved to sit down with Emily beside her, both of them cooing over the new addition to their family.

Becker called his parents first, speaking to his teary mother, his proud father and his over-excited sister. He promised all of them they'd get to see their granddaughter/niece the following day as Doctor Ellis had assured him his wife and daughter could be released barring any complications overnight.

After speaking to his family, he called Jess's, making the same reassurances and promises to her brother and sister-in-law.

Finally, phone calls done, Becker was able to retake possession of his daughter and, after assuring his teammates that both mother and child really were doing well, told the others to go home and get some sleep before he turned to take his daughter back to her mother.

Jess was sleeping when he made it back to her bedside but Becker didn't mind. He sat down on the chair beside her bed, his daughter still cradled protectively to his chest, and settled in for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><em>To be finished in 'Beautiful'<em>.


	24. Beautiful

Prompt: Beautiful  
>Rating: T<p>

* * *

><p>It was the sound of her daughter crying that woke her from her slumber. Jess stirred, wondering at first what the sound was.<p>

A tired smile curved her lips as she remembered and her eyelids fluttered open just in time to overhear the latter part of a conversation between a new nurse and her husband.

"Why is she crying?" Becker asked, concern in his voice. "Is she okay? Should we call the doctor...?"

"Not at all, Captain." The nurse smiled at him, her smile widening when she noticed Jess was awake. "She's just hungry, that's all. Have you decided if you're going to breastfeed, Mrs Becker? We do have some formula if you would prefer to try a bottle?"

Jess shook her head and tried to sit up, wincing a little at the ache of her lower body. "I was going to try feeding her if that's okay."

"Of course." Taking the baby from her father, who was evidently reluctant to let her go, the nurse approached Jess with her crying daughter. She instructed Jess quietly, and passed her her daughter when she was ready. In quiet, reassuring tones, she talked her through the process of feeding the baby, smiling encouragingly when she was happy both mother and daughter were settled. "I'll leave you alone for a while. If you need me, just hit the call button."

"We'll be fine, thank you." Jess barely looked up to smile, too taken with the sight of her daughter. She stroked the soft skin of the baby's cheek with her fingertip, lifting her head only when she felt the bed dip and knew Becker had joined her. "She's really here," she murmured, smiling softly at the expression of adoration on her husband's face. "Hil, she's really here."

"I know." He kissed her sweetly before moving to support her, gazing down at their daughter. "I already know she's going to be a heart-breaker," he murmured, lifting his hand to gently touch the soft downy hair their daughter had been born with. "She's too gorgeous not to be."

"Lillian Becker," Jess murmured quietly. "Lily." She smiled softly. "It suits her, doesn't it? Her name?"

Becker grinned. "It's the perfect name for our perfect little girl. My mother's going to be thrilled we named her after my grandmother."

"I think my brother will be pleased we've remembered my mum, too," Jess agreed quietly.

They sat in silence for a while, both of them watching their daughter. It hardly seemed possible that after waiting for her for so long, she was finally in their lives, finally right there in front of them, in her mother's arms.

When Lily was finished nursing, Jess burped her the way she'd been shown. She smiled when her little girl settled down again, falling asleep as she held her close. Glancing at her husband, she blushed at the expression on his face. "Don't look at me like that," she warned without rancour.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Like _that._" She shook her head, careful not to disturb their daughter. "I must look a mess. I can't see my hair but it feels greasy and I –"

"You look beautiful." His voice was quiet but the depth of emotion in it made her blush. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Jessica Becker. Thank you."

Jess looked at him curiously. "For what?"

"For being my wife. For giving me our daughter. For being you." Each statement was punctuated with a soft kiss, his hand lingering at her cheek as he gazed not at their daughter but at his wife, love and adoration clear in his eyes. "I love you, Jess."

"I love you, too." She leaned up to kiss him again, letting her head rest against his shoulder when they parted.

Together, they sat gazing at the little girl they'd made, a living symbol of the life they'd built together, each vowing they'd do whatever it took to keep her safe.

* * *

><p><em>The End.<em>

_(Maybe.)_

_Writing this series has been an amazing experience. Thank you to everyone who's been there from day one, and to everyone who's joined us along the way. I'm still every bit as in love with Jess & Becker as I ever was and don't imagine that this is the end of their story. That being said, I've no plans currently for another in the Milestones series - well, that's not true, I've got one playing at the back of my mind but have no idea when it'll make its way from my mind to paper and from paper to the screen. My original writing has to take precedence for a while, and there are other fandoms waiting in the wings, too._

_There will be more Primeval stories. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to the series as a whole given that it's got me through a heck of a lot of hard times over the years; it just might be a while before they get from me to you._

_In the meantime, thank you, sincerely, to all of you. To the girls who know who they are and to you readers who only know me when my pen name appears in your email or on the page. I'll never be able to explain what this show and this fandom has helped me get through over the last couple of years but please know that every exchange/review/follow/favourite has meant so very much._

_Love and hugs,_

_Alexa xx_


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